Category: Tax

Cryptocurrency and tax: a growing blind spot for many professionals

Most of our professional and doctor clients who own cryptocurrency would not describe themselves as crypto investors or traders. In many cases they purchased some Bitcoin or Ethereum several years ago, made a few trades, and then largely forgot about [read more...]

Investing has changed – but has your tax thinking kept up?

For many years, New Zealanders looking to grow their wealth had two main options: term deposits and property. Building a diversified share portfolio in the style of Warren Buffett was often out of reach for ordinary investors, as buying a [read more...]

Why good monthly processes make year-end accounts easier

As the end of the financial year approaches, attention often turns to year-end accounts and tax compliance. For many business owners, this can feel like a compressed, high-pressure process where everything needs to be finalised at once. In practice, the [read more...]

Trust distributions: when should you document them and why 

Many family trusts in New Zealand are run informally and while that might have worked in the past, it’s now one of the biggest reasons Inland Revenue takes a closer look. Trustees who delay or skip documenting distributions risk extra tax, lost [read more...]

What I learned about compliance at the CAANZ tax conference last week

I spent Thursday and Friday last week at the Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CAANZ) tax conference, listening to specialists from practice, economists, and very noticeably the Inland Revenue (IRD). In fact, IRD seemed to have the largest contingent [read more...]

Paying yourself and income splitting: what IRD expects and why it matters 

Did you know that Inland Revenue reviews thousands of small business tax returns each year, and one of the biggest red flags isn’t about questionable deductions, it’s how business owners pay themselves or family members?   Market salary rule for closely held companies A large portion of [read more...]

How much should I set aside for tax? A guide for GPs and specialists

For many GPs and medical specialists, tax time can feel like a juggling act – busy clinic, fluctuating income and those large provisional tax payments that always seem to arrive too soon. But with a bit of planning, tax season [read more...]

When “donations” aren’t tax-free: the risk of mislabelled income for not-for-profits

For many not-for-profits (NFPs), external funding keeps the doors open and the mission alive. But while it’s tempting to call all incoming funds “donations,” the reality is not everything that looks or feels like a donation is tax-free. Misclassifying sponsorships, [read more...]

New taxation bill: why these changes matter for investors, businesses and modern workers

On 26 August 2025, the Minister of Revenue introduced the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2025–26, Compliance Simplification, and Remedial Measures) Bill to Parliament. The Bill sets annual income tax rates and makes a series of important policy updates designed to [read more...]

IRD clarifies tax treatment of gift cards and trade rebates

Many businesses have long assumed that giving staff members Prezzy cards or similar gift cards could be treated under the Fringe Benefit Tax (FBT) rules. The thinking was that the de minimis exemption applied, meaning that if the gifts were [read more...]