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I’ve lived most of my adult life as a self-employed sole trader.

My income has come and gone like the wind, but somehow I’ve made it work. One thing I’ve always done is crunch the numbers and think about the possible consequences of decisions. That’s probably how I’ve survived a rather up-and-down financial existence thanks to my creative inclinations and unpredictable income. So I’ve been looking at the TOP land tax proposal.

I used the calculator and, based on my circumstances, I would likely struggle to afford the additional land tax. That could eventually mean losing my home.

‘But that’s OK’, TOP say, ‘because if you can’t afford it, the government would simply place a lien on your property until you clock off. The debt would be repaid from your estate, and your family would inherit whatever is left.’

That got me thinking about the unintended consequences.

• What if someone had mercenary offspring?

I don’t, thankfully.

But we all know elder abuse exists in New Zealand, so it’s not an impossible scenario. What if people force the elderly to check out earlier?

• Could some people end up feeling guilty about living a long life because every extra year means more debt accumulating against the family home?

Is it too convenient that our ‘assisted un-alive’ laws are expanding?

Meanwhile, the government gets repaid first.

Families inherit less.

In many cases, there may not be enough left to help the next generation into a home of their own.

Over time, larger developers and well-capitalised investors continue buying up more housing, while more ordinary New Zealanders become lifelong renters.

That starts to resemble a modern form of serfdom, where a relatively small number of people own the assets and everyone else spends their lives paying them.

Whether you agree with me or not, I think it’s important to think through the long-term consequences of policies like this before embracing them.

Whiteboarding ideas is one thing. Living with the unintended consequences is another. To me, this feels like a very inhumane tax that, in the long run, won’t benefit average working New Zealanders.

Instead, I worry it could reduce financial freedom and concentrate even more wealth and control in the hands of governments and large property owners.