HomeNews

All news by: Moore Markhams

Amalgamation Could Be The Solution

As businesses expand, a common decision is whether to create new companies to accommodate new ventures, risks, products and/or acquisitions. A well-designed group structure enables a ‘parent’ company to create distinct entities that operate independently.

FBT and Home to Work Travel

A common complaint made by employers is that the amount of time it takes to meet their FBT obligations is disproportionate to the amount of tax it actually generates. This frustration is arguably borne out in the number of mistakes that are often made when calculating the amount of FBT payable.

Protect Your Reputation

Over the last 18 months there have been a number of businesses fall over – which in and of itself has not been surprising given the recent economic climate. However, one element that serves as a warning for us all is the flow on effect of those failures. Not just in a tangible sense, where suppliers or ‘subbies’ are left out of pocket and can’t survive, but where acquaintance businesses can be tarred with the same brush.

The LTC Option

If a company sells a capital asset (e.g. commercial land) and derives a non-taxable capital gain, it’s reasonable to expect the shareholders to want access to the cash. However, the problem often arises that in order for a capital gain to be distributed tax-free, the company needs to be wound up. This is a result of the fact that if a capital gain is distributed in the absence of a wind-up, the distribution comprises a taxable dividend.

The Depreciable Asset

The depreciation rate for non-residential buildings has been reduced to 0%, effective from the 2024 / 25 income year. However, commercial fit-out remains depreciable. This makes the distinction between the two important because it is the difference between not being able to deduct any depreciation at all versus being able to claim a good proportion of a building’s cost as ‘fit-out’.

New Zealand's Growing Trade Ties with ASEAN

New Zealand's trade relationship with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has been significantly bolstered by the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (AANZFTA). Since its implementation in 2010, AANZFTA has paved the way for enhanced economic cooperation and mutual growth between New Zealand and ASEAN member states.

Impact of the Changes in Marginal Tax Thresholds

For the first time since 2010, personal tax rate thresholds will change from 31 July 2024. The change was announced as part of the 2024 budget. When personal tax thresholds are not regularly adjusted to take into account inflation or wage growth, individuals end up paying a higher percentage of their income in taxes over time. As such, adjusting these thresholds arguably reverses past tax increases.

New Product Lines

It is important to regularly ask whether you are providing the products that your customers want and whether there are any new products that you could provide to ensure you are evolving with changing times as you look for the next income stream.

Donating Trading Stock

What was a temporary tax concession relating to donated trading stock has now become a permanent one thanks to the enactment of the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Act 2024 on 1 April 2024.

Employee Share Schemes

For businesses that trade through a company, circumstances might arise in which the shareholders consider selling a minority stake in the company to a key employee or group of employees. This could be to ensure that key talent is ‘locked in’ for the long term, as a means of succession if the existing shareholders are looking to wind-down or simply as a means to link effort to reward.

GenAI – A Leap Forward

Artificial intelligence (AI) is the new buzzword at the moment, with business leaders touting its importance and the significant impact it will have on the way we conduct business. The reality is that AI has been around for a while, but in the past few years has taken a great leap in terms of its usefulness and accessibility for the general public.

Automation and Accounting

All too often we get into a routine without stepping back and considering why we are doing things. The same goes with our accounting systems and processes. Your finance team is probably busy keeping on top of their day-to-day workloads but has consideration been given to how productivity can be improved through the use of readily available software?

Changes to GST for the Platform Economy

In March 2023, legislation in relation to the platform economy was passed, affecting the GST treatment of services made through an electronic marketplace from 1 April 2024. We saw something similar back in 2019, where the GST rules on imported goods were amended to treat operators of online marketplaces as liable for returning GST, as opposed to individual sellers. Now the rules are being expanded to include listed services, such as accommodation, ride-sharing services and food delivery services.

Budget 2024 - Our View

The New Zealand 2024 Budget was handed down on 30 May at 2pm.

The Budget for 2024 demonstrates fiscal responsibility, provides long-awaited tax relief for 83% of New Zealanders, and allocates funds towards enhancing frontline public services for improved outcomes.

Rollover Relief or Grief?

The main change is that the bright-line period will now decrease from 10 years for existing properties or 5 years for a new build, to 2 years which applies to disposals on or after the 1 July. Rollover relief rules applying to bright-line transfers of residential land have also had a complete makeover, with the new criteria applying from 1 July.

De Facto Relationship or Not?

The Working for Families Tax Credit (WFFTC) is a notoriously complex scheme when it comes to determining eligibility and quantifying entitlement. This leads you to wonder how well the scheme is policed by Inland Revenue, and whether fraud is able to ‘fly under the radar’.

Beware of Deemed Dividends

The concept of what is a “dividend” is very broad and starts with the default proposition that any transfer of value from a company to a shareholder is a dividend. That concept includes the simple scenario of an interest free loan to a shareholder or a person associated to a shareholder; which can also include loans between companies.

End of Year Write-Offs

As increasing interest rates have bitten and with industry sectors such as retail and construction not performing as strongly, some businesses are struggling. As the end of the financial year approaches, now is a good time to assess whether any of your accounts receivable need to be written off as ‘bad’.

Trust Disclosure Regime

After the introduction of the Trust Disclosure rules in March 2022, in November 2023 Inland Revenue released a high-level summary (in the form of a 40-page report) of insights from the first year of reporting. While tax advisors and clients alike may have begrudgingly completed the disclosures initially, the statistics may prove to be interesting.

Covid Fraud

Given the necessity of providing fast relief, the wage subsidy scheme provided during COVID in NZ was largely based on trust. Today, MSD operates a Wage Subsidy Integrity and Fraud Programme aimed at ensuring the integrity of the payments and who received them.

Australia’s Tax System Compared

With the recent inflation driven surge in the cost of living, apparent increase in crime and seemingly constant complaints about the education and health systems, some New Zealanders are considering packing up shop and moving across the ditch to Australia.

Succession Planning for Legal Firms

Succession planning is an often underestimated yet critical component of a legal firm's long-term success. While legal professionals are primarily focused on providing exceptional legal services and growing their client base, it is equally essential to have a well-crafted succession plan in place.

39% Trust tax rate

On 18 May 2023, the government introduced the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023-24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. The Bill includes draft legislation that will see the trust tax rate increase from 33% to 39% from 1 April 2024, thereby aligning it with the top personal marginal tax rate.

Leaky home repairs concluded as not deductible

The leaky homes crisis represents one of the most severe problems faced by New Zealand’s property sector and continues to cause stress and anxiety for those affected. Adding to the uncertainty for rental property owners has been the question of whether repair costs are immediately deductible as ’repairs and maintenance’ (R&M).

Tax policy from two sides of the political aisle

Given that either Labour or National are likely to enter into coalition agreements of some form with the Green Party and Act, respectively, and the tax policies of the two main parties are more ‘vanilla’, it is worth reviewing the tax policies of the two minor parties as this is where unexpected change may come from.

Tax ourselves out of recession?

The buoyant covid subsidy funded days are behind us, New Zealand has entered a ‘technical’ recession. This was reinforced by the recent announcement that New Zealand’s corporate tax paid was almost 11% down in the 11 months to May relative to Government expectations.

The Power of Continuous Development: Staying Ahead in the World of Professional Services

Continuous development is essential in the finance and accounting world to stay credible and excel in the profession. At Moore Markhams, we prioritise ongoing learning to navigate regulatory changes, enhance technical competence, nurture industry expertise, foster innovation, boost credibility and trust, and attract top talent. By investing in our staff's growth and staying ahead of the curve, we solidify our position as a trusted partner in our clients' financial journey.