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Articles by John Rowe

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Aggressive IRD Tactics Update

by John Rowe 17 Dec 17

I have written several blogs warning taxpayers about the aggressive tactics the IRD have sometimes been employing. This is a trend that unfortunately shows no signs of abating. In fact, it appears to be getting worse. Recently we’ve noticed some IRD auditors jumping from an..

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When is a preapproval not a preapproval?

by John Rowe 17 Nov 17

Even before Winston Peters made his announcement that he would form a coalition government with Labour, we were seeing some disturbing trends in the banking sector. You need to be aware of these if you are looking to buy a home or investment property. There..

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New Foreign Trust Rules

by John Rowe 17 Jun 17

If you are not a tax resident of New Zealand and have a New Zealand trust with New Zealand resident trustees, you may be subject to the IRD’s new foreign trust registration and disclosure rules. These rules are in place as a result of concerns..

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Recent Tax Changes

by John Rowe 26 Apr 17

There have been a number of tax changes ushered in recently with two relatively large tax bills passed into law. Below is a grab bag of some of the changes that may be relevant to you. If you are concerned that any of these changes..

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Aggressive IRD tactics

by John Rowe 11 Dec 16

The IRD are being particularly aggressive in the tactics they are using at present. They are making phone calls to people personally rather than to their tax agents (accountants), and can be very intimidating. Some of the methods the IRD have been employing include: asking..

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Why foreign exchange might be unnecessarily costing you money

by John Rowe 18 Sep 16

Foreign exchange (FX) is an area where we have seen clients unnecessarily losing money. And we’re not talking small amounts, either, something that became abundantly clear to us after talking with Phillip Lindberg of OM Financial. Foreign exchange (converting NZ dollars into another currency, or..

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Don't be tempted to buy leaky buildings

by John Rowe 19 May 16

At GRA we have become concerned at the number of people thinking about buying leaky buildings. This was brought to our attention in our capacity as Professional Trustee, which means we (along with any other trustees) need to sign off on any planned property purchases for..

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Don't be an ostrich

by John Rowe 06 Sep 15

When things turn pear-shaped, it can be tempting to behave like an ostrich, bury your head in the sand, and ignore what’s going on. This is not the best policy. The media is currently giving high exposure to the issues facing dairy farmers - dairy..

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Buying property with friends and family

by John Rowe 22 Mar 15

One common theme that seems to be on the 'up' this year, is two or more investors coming together to buy property through small private partnerships, LTC's or joint ventures. Common examples include:- Family members buying an asset from the deceased estate of a relative; Family members..

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