Tax
IS A CAPITAL GAINS TAX COMING TO NZ?
Is a capital gains tax coming to NZ? It’s a question that resurfaces every few years, and 2026 is no exception. With a general election on 7 November (the date of this blog article) and Labour campaigning on a specific property CGT proposal, it’s worth setting out where things actually stand today, separate from…
Read MoreOVERSEAS PENSION NZ: HOW DO I GET THE MONEY BACK TO NZ?
Overseas pension NZ tax rules catch out more migrants and returning Kiwis than almost any other area of cross-border tax. Got a pension sitting in the UK, US, or elsewhere? Transferring it, or even just withdrawing it, can trigger a New Zealand tax bill you didn’t see coming. This guide explains how the current rules…
Read MoreSWITCHING TAX RULES ON YOUR RENTAL PROPERTY
Switching tax rules on your rental property. What does that actually mean? Inland Revenue issued interpretation statement IS 25/08(opens in new tab) on 4 April 2025, and it tackles a problem that trips up more property owners every year: what happens, tax-wise, when your property’s use changes and it moves between the standard tax rules…
Read MoreBRIGHT-LINE ROLLOVER RELIEF
Bright-line rollover relief (opens in new tab) is one of the most important property tax changes for New Zealand investors, yet it remains widely misunderstood. Many property owners assume they can transfer a rental property into a trust, LTC or company without tax consequences simply because they continue to control the property. Others assume every…
Read MoreAUSTRALIAN BUYING RENTAL PROPERTY IN NZ? TAX EXPLAINED
Australian buying rental property in NZ? Tax explained; in particular we cover your New Zealand tax obligations. Australian interest in New Zealand property has spiked sharply. Australia scrapped its capital gains discount for established properties in May, and that’s driven much of it. Searches from Australia-based buyers on NZ property listings sites jumped over 160%…
Read MoreINLAND REVENUE TAX AUDITS: WHY PROPERTY INVESTORS NEED BETTER RECORDS THAN EVER
Inland Revenue tax audits are increasing as IRD invests more heavily in compliance activity, data analysis, automated tools, and targeted reviews of property transactions. For New Zealand property investors, landlords, developers, and people caught by the bright-line rules, this means Inland Revenue now has a much stronger ability to detect undeclared income, GST errors, and incorrect…
Read MoreARE SHARES TAXABLE INCOME?
Are shares taxable income? It’s something many New Zealand investors ask, and the honest answer is that it depends on which kind of shares you hold. New Zealand has no comprehensive capital gains tax, but several share-related amounts are still taxable. Six situations cover most investors, and each one is taxed differently. (If you’re weighing…
Read MoreNZ INCOME TAX RATES
…additionally, the government have increased the trustee tax rate from 33% to 39% from 1 April 2024.
Read MoreWHEN CAN LAND SALES BE TAXED AS A PROFIT-MAKING SCHEME?
When can land sales be taxed? ie as a profit-making scheme? Inland Revenue has released a draft interpretation statement, PUB00519(opens in new tab), that revisits an issue which has been debated by tax advisors, property investors, developers, and Inland Revenue itself for decades. And it is potentially a huge shift in IRD thinking. At the…
Read MoreMOTOR VEHICLE FBT CHANGES
Motor vehicle FBT changes you say? Yes. The New Zealand Government has confirmed the most significant overhaul of the motor vehicle Fringe Benefit Tax (FBT) rules in decades. From 1 April 2027, employers will no longer calculate FBT primarily by counting the days a vehicle is available for private use. Instead, they will classify vehicles…
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