Structures
FAMILY TRUSTS NZ: BASIC CONCEPTS
Family trusts NZ basic concepts: Family trusts are one of the most commonly used legal structures in New Zealand—but also one of the most misunderstood. Many people hear about trusts from their lawyer or accountant and assume they provide automatic asset protection or tax advantages. Others set them up but don’t fully understand how they work,…
Read MoreCOMPANY VS SOLE TRADER
Company vs Sole Trader: Which structure is right for your business? When you start a business in New Zealand, one of the first and most important decisions you’ll make is choosing the right structure. The most common options are operating as a Company vs Sole Trader. At first glance, the decision might seem straightforward. But…
Read MoreHOW DO YOU SET UP AN LTC?
Who will be the company directors?
How many directors will you have?
Who will be the shareholders?
How many shares will they own?
OFFSET LTC PROFITS OR LOSSES AGAINST OTHER RENTALS
Note that you can’t offset any losses against income from other sources e.g. wages, like you used to in the good old days. That is what the concept of “ring-fencing of losses” means. The losses are “ring-fenced” so that they only apply to residential rental property.
Read MoreINVESTMENT PROPERTY AND LTCs: A GOOD MATCH?
Investment property and LTCs: A good match? (Or as Shakespeare might have said “To LTC or not to LTC: that is the question.”) For many years, property investors across New Zealand embraced Look-Through Companies (LTCs) as the structure of choice for holding rental properties. Accountants, lawyers, mortgage advisers, and investors often recommended LTCs because…
Read MoreFAMILY TRUST ACCOUNTING – WHAT DO I NEED TO DO?
Family trust accounting – what do I need to do? This could quite possibly be a question which you have never thought much about before. But given the trust tax law changes of recent years, it may now be on your radar. (In fact, in 2026 it should be on your radar!) 30-SECOND OVERVIEW Family trusts…
Read MoreBEST OWNERSHIP STRUCTURES FOR INVESTMENT PROPERTY
9 times out of 10 an LTC is the best structure for owning a rental property: “You have the benefit of limited liability, a legal structure that is clearly a separate entity yet under your control, and yet it is treated at tax time like a partnership: the best of both worlds.”‘
Read MoreCHANGING SHARES IN LTCS: CONSIDERATIONS
Let’s say that the company owes the shareholders $150,000. This is tracked in the Shareholders Current Account, and is a liability (debt) of the LTC…
Read MoreWHAT TRUST TAX CHANGES MEAN FOR MY FAMILY TRUST
What trust tax changes mean for my family: Is that something you have been wondering about? “Lately, I’ve been hearing a lot about rising taxes on trusts and the growing wealth gap between generations. Like many families, we’ve worked hard to build up some assets — a home, maybe a rental or two, a business…
Read MoreTRUST VS PARTNERSHIP VS COMPANY VS LTC FOR RENTAL PROPERTY
Note also that in the case of rental property owned by individuals, income or loss can only be unevenly distributed if this is what is on the title.
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