The Taxpayers' Union, a group which highlights what it sees as wasteful Government spending and argues for lower taxes, has been granted more than $60,000 in taxpayer money as part of the COVID-19 wage subsidy.

The money will be used to support nine of the incorporated society's employees, according to an entry on the Government's public database of wage subsidy recipients.

"This decision was made on the basis of our ethical obligations to staff during the Government-mandated economic shutdown," a post on the group's website said.

"The decision to accept this subsidy was not as simple for us as for most organisations. Prior to COVID-19, we have stated on the record that we would never accept taxpayer funding. That commitment was, of course, made in a time few New Zealanders could possibly have anticipated COVID-19 and the ensuing economic situation.

"After brief deliberation, the Taxpayers' Union board determined the welfare of our employees to be a more pressing immediate concern than ideological purity."