News & Insights

‘Tis the season of giving! But if you’re planning to give your clients and/or employees a present this year, you should temper your generosity of spirit with the correct tax treatment of gifts for employees. After all, you wouldn’t want the IRD to put you on its naughty list… here’s what you need to know:

From 1 April 2017, tax must be deducted from all payments made to contractors working under a ‘labour hire arrangement’ for a labour hire business. This change will impact many businesses and different industries such as: employment agencies, ‘temp’ agencies, on-hire businesses as well as the wider recruitment, IT and healthcare industries.

In 2015, the Tax Department introduced a ‘bright-line test’ for the sale of residential property. If you buy and sell a property within two years, this test is used to determine if you are required to pay tax on the profit. We explain how the bright-line test works and the responsibilities of residential property owners.

Property taxation is currently a hot area of focus for the Tax Department. If you’re buying, selling or renting property in New Zealand, it’s important to understand how property taxation works and your responsibilities as a business owner.

If you are moving to New Zealand, or are returning to New Zealand from overseas, then you could qualify for the transitional tax resident exemption. We explain what this means and how it impacts your tax obligations.