The top personal marginal tax rate increases to 39% on income over $180,000, with effect from 1 April 2021. Businesses should consider what the flow-on effects are and forward plan to ensure they are not caught off guard. Two key areas are discussed in this article. Simplistically put, a company pays income tax at 28%. …
The treatment of employee accommodation (and taxable allowances) can be confusing. In 2015 the rules around employer-provided accommodation were subject to a reform, with the changes intended to provide greater clarity and cohesion for employers to understand their tax obligations. Previously, a net benefit approach was acceptable, where accommodation provided to an employee was not …
In addition to the tax loss carry-back scheme, the New Zealand Government has introduced a number of other tax changes to assist businesses and individuals to get through COVID-19. Currently, if an asset is purchased for less than $500 it does not need to be depreciated. The cost is immediately deductible in the year of …
Ordinarily, if a taxpayer incurs a tax loss within a particular year, they are able to carry that loss forward and offset it against income derived in a future year, thereby reducing the taxpayer’s future tax payable. As part of the Government’s Covid-19 response, on 30 April 2020 legislation was passed under urgency which allows …
On 24 February, Inland Revenue released an Officials’ Issues Paper seeking feedback on various GST issues. A long-standing rule that has proved a source of frustration for those affected applies to transfers of goods between associated persons. The issue is highlighted in the following example. Joe buys a block of land on the edge of …
The land taxing provisions deem certain sales of land to be subject to income tax, subject to a limited number of exceptions. One such is exception is for ‘business premises’. However, the circumstances in which it applies can be a grey area. Hence, two recent ‘Questions We’ve Been Asked’ (QWBA) issued by Inland Revenue (IRD) …
From 01 March 2020, the IRD will no longer accept cheques. Developments in electronic payment methods and improved ease of online payments from your smartphone or tablet, means processing cheque payments has become a rather laborious task. However old habits die hard, and a significant amount of people continue to use cheques – IRD alone …
Family Trusts are used widely in New Zealand; often being viewed as beneficial for asset protection and to keep assets in the family for future generations. A reason for their popularity has been the relative simplicity of the legal and tax regime. However, the rules are evolving. In addition to the widely publicised re-write of …
Two recent (connected) cases at the Taxation Review Authority (TRA) demonstrate that unnecessarily complex transactions can raise a red flag for IRD. Both cases related to a taxpayer referred to as Mr Brown, who acquired a 2/3 interest in a joint venture known as the NPN Partnership (NPN) back in 1981. NPN held several residential …
Fringe Benefit Tax (FBT) on privately used vehicles is neither new nor rare. However, errors in FBT calculations are common due to the murky and complicated nature of the rules and principles that apply. Generally, FBT is payable when a business-owned vehicle is available for private use by an employee. The availability component of this …
