Property Accountants

•Exorbitant development contributions proposed•Disconnect between Council and developers in Auckland•Red zones emerging for sewer and fresh water making sites non-developable•Abuse of monopolies by local government and utility providers•Concern this will spread across New Zealand to other councilsI have noticed many of our property developer clients complaining of what they called "abusive costs" proposed by Auckland Council, Watercare/Veolia and Vector, ... Continue reading 

One of the main aspects of property investment that people are concerned about is finance.  After all, the majority of investors will need to borrow some, if not most, of the purchase price in order to buy a property.  What is the best way to obtain finance? How do you manage your borrowing? What aspects of finance is it ... Continue reading 

I want to close the year by highlighting a couple of positive developments in the GST rules – one that came into effect earlier in 2022, and one that is proposed to come into effect from next year.Earlier this year a long-standing issue that prevented GST from being claimed on asset transfers within a group structure was resolved. To ... Continue reading 

The IRD have recently announced ways in which they can provide some relief for those hit by the recent adverse weather events. Although these measures are not new, it is useful to know about them and to be aware the IRD will actively consider application to those affected.Removing Penalties and InterestThe IRD charges penalties on late filing and late ... Continue reading 

As you are probably already aware, trusts now have more reporting requirements with the IRD. However, in some circumstances, trusts, especially family trusts, may have been made non-active with the IRD, which means there is no income to report (and no tax to pay). Although a trust may not generate any income, and therefore may not be required to file ... Continue reading 

In today’s business environment, real-time financial visibility is no longer a luxury - it’s essential. Yet many business owners still treat accounting as something to look at once a year, often relying on outdated spreadsheets or systems that weren’t designed for the demands of a modern organisation.If you want to grow sustainably, maintain control, and avoid unnecessary stress, adopting ... Continue reading 

Going out on your own is exciting, but it also comes with some harsh tax realities. Unfortunately, these can be unexpected, especially when you're entering your first year of self-employment. One very helpful piece of tax policy for new small-business owners in New Zealand is the early payment discount. This is essentially a free tax write off / reduction for ... Continue reading 

Trusts hail from medieval times and one can be forgiven for thinking current trust law has been on our statute books since that time too.  A combination of legislation, common law judgements and equity maxims result in the law being antiquated and complex. This frequently makes trust law difficult to comprehend and, in some cases, problematic to apply.  To ... Continue reading 

If you keep an eye on the media, you will have noticed over the Christmas break and into January a plethora of articles referring to the CCCFA. The Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act was initially brought in back in 2005, but all the recent noise has been to do with amendments to the Act that came in on ... Continue reading 

No matter what business you are in (property investment, self-employed, salaried, or retired), health insurance should be part of your risk mitigation strategy. Consider this question: How much would you pay to live for an extra year? If you are diagnosed with serious illness, the right health insurance that gives you access to the best treatments can make a ... Continue reading