The Labour Government established the Tax Working Group (“the Group”) in January 2018 to review the existing New Zealand tax framework and to provide recommendations for improvements to the fairness, balance and structure of the tax system over the next 10 years. An Interim Report was released on 20 September 2018, to provide interim conclusions … Read more
The Labour coalition made immediate changes when they were elected into government, starting with repealing National’s planned tax bracket changes. Labours new ‘mini-budget’ is intended to benefit low-income earners, middle-income families with children and lift children out of poverty. The package entails: Increasing the Family tax credit by between $575 to $1,400 per year. Increasing … Read more
The loss offset (and subvention payment) mechanism allows a ‘profit’ company to reduce its taxable income by utilising the tax losses of a ‘loss company’. The mechanism is a great tool that is commonly used. Before a loss offset can be made, the following key requirements must be satisfied: The loss company must have maintained … Read more
New Zealand has taken a battering in recent years from major disasters including earthquakes, fires, cyclones and floods. These have caused business disruptions, devastated lands, and damaged our capital’s infrastructure and homes. Where insurance is received, a question often asked is how these receipts should be treated for tax purposes. Whether insurance proceeds are taxable … Read more
It is important for individuals to correctly determine their residency status for tax purposes, as a New Zealand tax resident is taxed on their ‘worldwide income’. A person is considered to be a New Zealand resident for tax purposes if they have been physically present in New Zealand for more than 183 days in any … Read more
New legislation enacted in February substantially simplifies obligations under the provisional tax regime. Most taxpayers pay their provisional tax at three times through the course of their financial year, being the 28th day of the 5th, 9th and 13th months after their balance date. The ‘standard uplift’ method determines a person’s liability based on a … Read more
For most taxpayers, 31 March represents the end of the financial year. In the lead up to ‘year-end’ there are a number of actions that business owners may want to take to avoid missing the boat on simple tax planning opportunities. Trading stock: stock can be valued at the lower of cost and market selling … Read more
A recent case Taxation Review Authority (TRA) decision has highlighted the importance of good record keeping. The taxpayer, an accountant, was accused by Inland Revenue (IRD) of using a company as a vehicle to create a tax advantage. He claimed to have sold his sole trade accountancy practice to his own company for $2m in … Read more
Over the past few years there has been a pronounced improvement in the manner in which Inland Revenue selects and conducts its investigations. There has been an increased focus on data analysis, comparisons to statistical norms, and use of external information such as land transfer data. As a result there is an increasing need to … Read more
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 … Read more
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