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Snippets: Australian budget
With the New Zealand Budget set to be released on 22 May 2025, it is worth looking over the ditch and seeing whether the grass in Australia is greener as a result of their Budget that was released on 25 March 2025. A tax cut was introduced for individuals. The rate applying to income between
Snippets: IRD reassessments without notice
On the 29th March 2025, the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2024−25, Emergency Response, and Remedial Measures) Act received Royal assent. Of note is that the Act includes an amendment to section 89C of the Tax Administration Act 1994 relating to Inland Revenue’s (IRD) ability to amend an assessment without completing the formal disputes process. The
Trust disclose review
From the 2021-2022 income years onwards, the Inland Revenue (IRD) introduced increased disclosure requirements for trusts. The increased disclosure requirements were aimed at supporting the Commissioner’s ability to evaluate compliance with tax rules, develop tax policy, and assist with understanding and monitoring the use of trust structures and entities. In effect, it appeared as though
Tax pooling
Most people have heard of “tax pooling”, but it is common for people to say they have heard of it “but, I don’t really get it”. Here is an explanation of tax pooling. For the purposes of provisional tax and tax obligations generally, a fundamental aspect is the “effective date” of a tax credit. This
Navigating insurance proceeds and tax
When the unexpected happens — a fire, flood, or major equipment failure — insurance proceeds can provide some welcome relief. However, from a tax perspective, how that payment is treated isn’t always as simple as it first appears. While many businesses instinctively classify insurance proceeds as taxable income, this is not always necessary. Applying the
Charities review
Currently, Charities in NZ are broadly exempt from income tax. This is a choice that ‘we’ as a society have made. It is centred on the view that if an organisation is established for a charitable purpose, then ‘we’ should support that organisation and maximise the resources it has available to achieve its purposes. There
From my desk: May – July 2025
The weather has certainly turned and it’s getting much cooler in the evenings. Our farmer clients have been blessed with much needed rain and those that could keep milking until mid/late May. The milk payout is an all-time high so even with some extra stock food costs we anticipate some larger tax bills. Please contact
Snippets: Paying for flu vaccinations
Flu vaccinations are exempt from fringe benefit tax (FBT) if they are provided to employees either through a clinic set up on work premises, or where a voucher is given to the employee to use at their doctor or another clinic. This is because the vaccination falls under a specific exemption targeting a health and
Snippets: Schedular tax activity by Inland Revenue
The schedular tax regime falls under the PAYE rules and typically applies to require tax to be withheld from self-employed individuals if they perform certain types of work, such as modelling or shearing. On its website Inland Revenue have noted non-compliance has been identified within the horticulture industry in relation to contractors not meeting their
When is a motor vehicle subject to Fringe Benefit Tax?
A common complaint about Fringe Benefit Tax (FBT) is that it is too complex, particularly when it comes to motor vehicles, which becomes a point of frustration given it is one of the most commonly provided benefits. This is borne out by how common it is for mistakes to be identified during an Inland Revenue
PAYE and personal grievances
Although not desirable, it is not unusual for an employee to raise a personal grievance with their employer. Section 123 of the Employment Relations Act 2000 (ERA) provides for a number of remedies where an employee has a personal grievance. If an employee suffers humiliation, loss of dignity, or injury to feelings one remedy is
Effective decision making
In today’s business environment, effective decision-making is key to navigating change and achieving sustainable growth. For small to medium sized enterprises where there can be fewer individuals at a senior decision-making level, there is arguably a greater need to have a strong decision-making process to ensure decisions are not made in a vacuum. However, how
