After 25 years of standing still, the Government has proposed doubling the Foreign Investment Fund (FIF) threshold from $50,000 to $100,000. If you’ve invested in overseas shares through Hatch, Sharesies, Interactive Brokers or overseas ETFs, Budget 2026 probably gave you something to smile ab...

One day there is suddenly extra money sitting in your bank account, sometimes hundreds or even thousands of dollars you were not expecting. It’s because the IRD has given you a tax refund. For many people, it feels like free money. But I hate to be the one to burst your bubble, a tax refund [&...

Nobody likes getting a surprise tax bill from IRD. One day everything feels fine. Then suddenly there is an email, a letter, or a notification in myIR saying you owe thousands in tax you were not expecting. And the frustrating part? In many cases, the tax bill was completely predictable. The worst p...

Recently, a client paid me an extraordinary $8,500 to fix a simple GST mistake that could have been easily avoided. Here’s how you can avoid making the same mistake when registering for GST with the IRD. The 3 Registration Questions IRD Asks You (and How to Get These Right) When you register for G...

Most business owners incorrectly think employer accreditation is an immigration process. Instead, its a financial and commercial assessment of your business. Immigration New Zealand is not just asking: “Do you want to hire people?” They’re asking: “Is your business financially viable and...

If you move to Australia but don’t properly exit the New Zealand tax system, you can end up paying tax twice on the same income in both countries. To avoid this, you need to correctly cease your New Zealand tax residency. In this article, I’ll cover: How to Cease Being a New Zealand Tax Resident...

If you’re moving to New Zealand, you can legally pay $0 tax on your foreign income for 4 years. First, what normally happens when you move to New Zealand? Once you become a New Zealand tax resident: 👉 You are taxed on your worldwide income That includes: But there’s a major exception New Zeal...

Sometimes you’d rather have a friend in your property than a stranger. And you’re happy to charge them less than market rent. Done right, this can also mean paying $0 tax on your rental income. Inland Revenue consistently refers to this scenario as renting at “mates’ rates”. Th...

Renting a holiday home to a family member can mean the income is Exempt, resulting in $0 tax to Inland Revenue. What is Exempt income? Exempt income is income you do not have to pay tax on. If you qualify, you can: What is the IRD Rule? The rule is called the Associated Person Exempti...

New Zealand tax law offers a little-known way to simplify your obligations, by simply opting-out of the standard tax rules. This is applicable for owners of properties that are used for both private and rental purposes (known as “mixed-use assets”), such as holiday homes. This means you ...