Although it was not unexpected this is sad news, truly the end of an era. A rare NZ great and seems like a fantastic guy as well.
For me personally, Taylor is almost exactly my age and I joined this forum around the time he debuted for NZ, so he's always been there and has progressed from young guy making his mark to semi-old man in time with myself. I've posted before that Taylor was the starting point for this current side, because it was only a couple of seasons after his test debut that NZ were at the nadir of abso-****ing-uselessness as a batting side and he was the only one, amongst a rotating cast of sub-standard top-6 candidates, to score runs and make a spot his own. Pseudo-opener at 4 and with usually only a couple of all-rounders to form partnerships with, but he succeeded again and again, which then made it easier for other players like Williamson, Watling, Latham etc to slot in around him and bat with someone who knows what they're doing at this level. And a simply excellent ODI player.
It's absolutely time for him in test cricket, though I thought he might hold on to play ODIs for a little longer. Will miss that cut shot, the occasional reappearance of the slog sweep, the old-man run to the boundary when he's occasionally required to move from slip, the tongue stuck out and anticipation of KFC+Grange to celebrate a century, and the comedy running with KW. In the mean time, will enjoy his last summer.