11:03 am today

Government finances worse than expected as tax take falls

11:03 am today
Nicola Willis

Finance Minister Nicola Willis. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

The government's finances are slightly worse than expected, as the tax take fell more than expenses.

Treasury figures, which exclude ACC finances, showed a deficit of $4.9 billion for the four months ended October - about $700 million higher than forecast in May's Budget.

The deficit including ACC costs was $5.2b, $400m above forecast.

The tax take was down $600m because of lower company and provisional tax receipts.

Expenses were about $200m lower, with costs associated with the scrapped Cook Strait ferries project partly offset by lower spending on several programmes.

More to come.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

Get the RNZ app

for ad-free news and current affairs