Phil Thomson: Australia just handed us an opportunity. Are we going to take it?

PremiumOpinionOpinion byPhil ThomsonNZ Herald·21 May, 2026 08:00 AM6 mins to readPhil Thomson is the co-founder and CEO of Auror, a global retail crime intelligence platform founded in New Zealand and also operating across North America, United Kingdom and Australia. He writes in a personal capacity.Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (left) and his New Zealand counterpart Christopher Luxon oversee different tax systems. Photo / Getty ImagesLast week I posted a cheeky note to Australian founders on LinkedIn, suggesting they consider jumping the ditch after Australia’s Budget announcement around capital gains tax (CGT).

I laid out three reasons: no CGT in New Zealand, shorter flights to the US, and no animals or insects that can kill