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“Trust busting” is the term often used to describe instances where a court finds in favour of a claimant trying to access trust assets. Here, though, I do not want to talk about “trust busting”. Instead I want to bust some trust myths. There has..

With a cooler Auckland property market, what should buyers and sellers be doing to maximise their chances of success? Sellers obviously want to get the highest price possible, while buyers (especially investors who are focused on the numbers) want the opposite. Funnily enough, auctions can..

Most people are aware that from 1 October 2015, residential property (with some exceptions) that is bought and sold within a two-year period will attract tax payable on capital gains made.  This rule will apply to equally to individuals, companies and trusts.  If a property..

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, LTCs or joint ventures.  Common examples include: Family members buying an asset from the deceased estate of a relative Family members..

I was recently asked whether there was an upper limit to the ratio between property price and household income, which in Auckland currently sits at about 10 to 1. In other words, the average property price is worth 10 times the average annual income.  Also..

A common issue that arises is dealing with insurance companies over the names on insurance policies. Technically, insurance should held in the name of the owners of a property. In the case of a trust, the legal owner on the title of a property is..

Once again the topic of capital gains tax (CGT) has reared its ugly head.  Speculation is that Labour will unveil a property investment targeted capital gains tax when it announces its tax policy in the next two weeks.  The Greens have thrown their not so considerable..

I thought in an election year, political parties were meant to put forth policies that would aid and assist Kiwis, policies that would entice citizens to cast their vote in their direction. How mistaken could I be, or is that Labour being mistaken? Yes the..

A Victoria University Tax Working Group is currently considering the future direction of the New Zealand tax system. The Group is made up of various governmental, academic and industry professionals and is expected to produce a report which will be influential on the government's future..