A self-proclaimed tax agent has been found by the Taxation Review Authority (TRA) to have taken an unacceptable tax position and demonstrated a high level of disregard for the consequences of claiming GST refunds over a two and a half year period. The taxpayer claimed a GST refund for five consecutive six month periods from […]
Slammed for gross carelessness Read More »
The compulsory zero-rating (CZR) of land rules have applied since 1 April 2011. The rules were introduced to combat a pattern of transactions where Inland Revenue (IRD) was paying GST refunds to land purchasers, but there was no corresponding GST returned by the vendor. Although simple in principle, mistakes are being made. To recap, the
Compulsory zero-rating of land Read More »
The Government has recently announced a package of proposed tax changes that intend to reduce compliance costs and make tax simpler for businesses. The package is part of the Inland Revenue’s big picture ‘Making Tax Simpler’ initiative that aims to modernise and simplify the tax system. While the proposals will generally apply to all businesses,
Changes to how SMEs pay tax Read More »
In the past, an IRD audit could be commenced for no other reason than the business had not been audited in recent years. Audits would start with the stereotypical interview comprising a series of broad questions that may or may not apply to the business, before the investigator would commence trawling through invoices looking to
Inland Revenue Scrutiny Read More »
As part of Budget 2015, the Government has passed into law a “bright-line” test for the sale of residential property. The test will require income tax to be paid on any gains from the sale of residential property that is bought and sold within two years. This came into effect from 01 October 2015. What’s
Bright-line Property Rule Read More »
In New Zealand, companies are often the preferred vehicle when setting up a new business. They are well understood, underpinned by well-functioning legislation, flexible, and liability is generally limited to the amount of a shareholder’s investment. However, the tax rules surrounding companies can be complex and not well suited to small businesses. In acknowledgement of
Changes to closely held company tax rules Read More »
Imposing Goods and Services Tax (GST) on the digital economy has been a hot topic this year as New Zealand retailers push for equal GST treatment between local and foreign suppliers. At present, foreign providers of cross-border services and intangibles (including music, e-books, videos and software purchased from offshore websites) do not have to pay
GST on Foreign Supplies Read More »
The fall in the pay-out has been and gone and now we await the results of dairy trade auctions to see what direction Fonterra take. We need to be looking at the things we can control but at times we all seem to focus on things we can’t control. If you are struggling to meet
On 26 February 2015, the Government introduced the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2015 – 16, Research and Development, and Remedial Matters) Bill (the Bill). It is the first sizeable bill to introduce amendments to the tax rules since November 2013. The Bill contains changes intended to address tax impediments to research and development (R&D) and
The Government has released two discussion papers to engage in public consultation on options for simplifying and modernising New Zealand’s tax system. The documents introduce taxpayers to the general direction the Government intends to take to improve administration of the tax system. Basically, the Government wants to simplify tax for individuals and businesses by reducing
Modernising New Zealand’s Tax System Read More »
