Tax Law
Are you maintaining a family trust? A sole trader? Do you represent a corporation in New Zealand? Our experts are highly knowledgeable about current tax law and will consider tax law changes when providing you with advice on any matter.
Find out where to get help online, below, or complete the following form to ask us a question.
Tax law: a mystery to many, but it need not be
If you’re searching for advice on tax, the Internet provides a wealth of resources where taxpayers can quickly understand the “headline” issues. A starting point is the main IRD website, which covers a huge range of topics, with a particular focus on compliance issues. Let’s explore what is available to the public, published on the IRD’s various websites…
New Zealand Tax Compliance Laws
Outside of tax compliance, the first port of call is the IRD media centre, where the IRD publishes what it considers news for taxpayers. This resource offers a snapshot of current IRD concerns. Current information includes the IRD moving towards a short process for tax disputes and noting its further investigations into undeclared income in the hospitality industry.
Future IRD Tax Policies
The second port of call is that part of the IRD called tax policy, see tax.policy.ird.govt.nz. IRD’s Policy website looks to the future and is where the ideas for changes and refinements to the New Zealand tax system first come into view from the IRD perspective. Two parts of the site are particularly useful. First, you can see what is in the current work programme. Some topics are very technical and esoteric, but others give a heads up as to what the tax policy unit is considering.
Current topics include land taxation and charities. If you take the work programme as a guide, you should anticipate that those topics will move into focus, sooner rather than later.
Secondly, they come into focus mostly through official papers. These papers are on the website and provide detailed analyses of the perceived issue and options for resolving the problems identified. A current example is the allocation of business purchase prices as between seller and buyer. The official’s papers usually ask for input from the public, and the policies get refined before moving into the legislative process.
As our resident tax specialist, Richard Osborne, states: every New Zealander should take a very keen interest in government tax proposals and their implications for them. At some point, you will have the opportunity to vote on them.
Current Tax Law Interpretations
The third and last port of call is more specialised but still significant. The technical tax area of the IRD website concentrates on existing legislation, its interpretation and application. Here, you can find information about interpretation statements and other matters where IRD is providing formal guidance on what is tax law now. Often this will include the ability to make submissions on the publications.
When Reading a Website Doesn’t Cut it
Despite the depth of information available online, tax laws can be a challenge for the layperson to fully comprehend, and to apply to their particular circumstances. We welcome the opportunity to discuss your specific tax questions. Our tax experts can demystify the complex (yet hugely important) landscape of tax compliance in New Zealand.
Tax Lawyers Auckland
Wynyard Wood have tax law experts in Auckland. Whether you have questions about your current position or you’d like to learn about future changes to tax law and how they could impact you, we can help. Contact our team today to schedule a consultation.