Revenue Minister Peter Dunne is dismissing a suggestion New Zealand is a tax haven after criticism over his "legitimate tax avoidance" comments.

Government departments which have spent millions in laying off staff are responsible for nearly $1 billion in consultants' fees and $114.1 million in redundancies.

BAT's excise tax last year was worth as much as the government reaped from all 16 state-owned enterprises.

As KiwiSaver's fifth birthday approaches, Tamsyn Parker checks what it has achieved, the arguments it sparks, and the changes still to come.

IRD's clampdown on tax avoidance and loopholes will bridge the gap left by the planned sell-down of the SOE energy companies, says Peter Dunne.