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“The IRD has a way of finding out….”

Paul Martin • Nov 20, 2018

Jo was having a good giggle watching Shortland Street last week. She called me to come and watch the 'tax man' making his debut on our nations' longest running soap, chasing down beloved Dr Drew McCaskill for probable (intentional) tax evasion. 

While the one liners such as Drew referring to his tax audit as "….. jumping through pedantic Government hoops so drones like Gerry can justify their jobs" will never be as famous as Dr Ropata's "We're not in Guantemala now", as Chartered Accountants we have found the tax man episodes highly entertaining. 

Drama aside though, there are some very useful lessons highlighted by the scriptwriters' take on tax matters, including the importance of record keeping and taking proper professional advice from a qualified Chartered Accountant.

Here is Jo's commentary on Dr Drew McCaskill's IRD audit woes:

1. Importance of good record keeping habits
2. "Who keeps tax records for seven years?"
3. Correctly claiming business expenses – and keeping personal expenses personal
4. Importance of using a Chartered Accountant
5. Consequences of tax evasion – even if unintentional
6. Voluntary disclosure option

Jo tells me the storyline is still unfolding so I am sure I will hear the final outcome of Drew's tax woes at some stage in the future. However, to close I must dispel a few of the mistruths and stereotypes presented on Shortland Street in the interests of drama and entertainment:

The timeframe and process for a tax investigation/audit is many months to many years, depending on the complexity of your affairs. It would never be compounded to a couple of days!

If you are concerned you may have made mistakes with your record keeping, you are aware you forgot to declare something, or you would like help improving the way your store and organise your financial affairs, please contact us to make an appointment. We can guide you through the best approach to take for your specific circumstances and, if necessary, negotiate with the IRD on your behalf. 

How the new Government and coalition agreements might affect owners of residential rental properties

By Paul Martin • 04 Dec, 2023
There were some key takeouts of interest to many of our clients from the recently signed coalition agreements between National, ACT and New Zealand First and the formation of the new Government. In particular there are a number of policies which will likely benefit landlord clients who own residential rentals. I have summarised some of these below. 1. Return of Interest deductibility for residential rental properties Interest deductibility for residential rental property owners will return. It will be phased back in over three tax years: • 2023/24 tax year: 60% of interest cost will be deductible. • 2024/25 tax year: 80% of interest cost will be deductible. • 2025/26 tax year: 100% of interest cost will be deductible. 2. Reduction in bright-line period National signalled in their pre-election campaign that the bright-line period for residential rental property sales would reduce from 10-years to 2-years. While the exact implementation of this policy is not yet known, it is good news on the horizon for residential property investors. 3. Reinstatement of 90-day no-cause termination notices The new government will reinstate 90-day no-cause tenancy termination notices. This will avoid many unnecessary disputes in the Tenancy Tribunal and gives landlords more confidence in letting to possibly “marginal tenants". Many landlords have avoided what they considered to be risky tenants because eviction for anti-social behaviour was so difficult. With this reinstatement, landlords might be more inclined to give a marginal tenant a chance because they know that if the tenant misbehaves, they won’t be stuck with them. If you would like more information on how these changes might affect your personal circumstances, please feel free to contact us to discuss further.

How does provisional tax work, especially in an economic downturn?

By Paul Martin • 18 Jul, 2023
If you had to pay tax of more than $5,000 in your last income tax return, you may have to pay provisional tax for the following year. Provisional tax is like making progress payments on next year's income tax.

How to handle inflation as a sole trader

By Paul Martin • 18 Jul, 2023
Sole traders have had an especially difficult few years as inflation surges. We have got three tips to help lighten the load for your sole trader business. 
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