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How's your work-life balance?

It’s great to be the boss – you can work any hours you like, right?Unfortunately, for many business owners, that means long hours, plenty of stress, and very few breaks and holidays. Gallup reported that 39% of the owners they surveyed worked over 60 hours a week.Owners often report they are unhappy with their work life balance, and after the challenges of the recent years you might find yourself thinking hard about your priorities.Running a business and having a lifeCan you run your busines...

Changes to Kiwisaver: how to get your business ready

Major changes to KiwiSaver were announced in Budget 2025.The Kiwisaver voluntary savings scheme is aimed at helping New Zealand workers save for retirement, or buy a first house. But with the rising cost of living, action was needed to make KiwiSaver fit for purpose and more fiscally sustainable as a savings scheme.How will these changes affect your employees and your small business? Let’s take a look at the details of these KiwiSaver changes.Changes affecting your employeesFirst off, let...

Making your business work for you: passing the business to the next generation

As the owner of the business, you’ve set your company up so it delivers on your own personal goals. But you also want the business to deliver for the people you hand the business on to – whether that’s your kids, your management team, or a brand-new buyer.Let’s take a look at how you pass the business on to the next generation, and the key steps to plan for, consider and get in place before you exit the company.Getting the business ready to hand overWhen you pass the business to your suc...

Investment Boost - How to maximise the benefits of this new scheme

As part of May 2025 Budget, the Minister for Finance, Nicola Willis, introduced Investment Boost, a new way for Kiwi businesses to reduce the cost of investing in new assets and equipment.What does Investment Boost offer?Investment Boost is a new tax deduction that’s available to all Kiwi businesses, whatever the size of your business or your business type.From 22 May 2025, you can claim 20% of the cost of new assets as an expense, then claim depreciation as usual on the remaining 80%.What can...

Have you made a Will and is it current?

Have you made a Will? Is it current? Every Kiwi should have a Will if they have more than $15,000 worth of assets. Have you an Enduring Power of Attorney (EPA) for your property? For your personal care and welfare? This enables a named person to look after your affairs if you can’t. Memorandum of Wishes (MOW) - this is essentially a private document that the settlor can advise trustees of their wishes for the trust fund following the settlors death. This is very separate to a pers...

Client Gift Expenses and their Tax Deductibility

Questions around gifts often come up when you want to celebrate special milestones in your relationships with valued customers. Or at Christmas time when you are planning events, thinking about ways to say thanks and spread some festive cheer with clients....

What’s the difference between employees and contractors?

Does your business use both employees and contractors? It's important to distinguish between them as they are paid and taxed differently....

NZ Road Transport Price Hike

Costs for NZ road transport businesses have risen almost four times higher than inflation in the last quarter, according to the latest Grant Thornton Cost Index....

Beware of cyber scams

Digital tools can help your business become more efficient, save time, and win new customers, but there are also dangers to watch out for. Cyber-attacks and con artists could target any small business in New Zealand.Here are the latest risks:...

GST Invoicing changes are coming!

On 30 August 2022, the IRD have changed their interest rates on overpaid (credit interest) and underpaid (debit interest). This is often called “use of money interest’ or UOMI. Rates are reviewed regularly to ensure they align with market interest rates.Current rates are now:Debit interest 7.96%Credit interest 1.22%...