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Block, delete, and carry on: My tips for dealing with bullies.Today is Pink Shirt Day. You will see a lot of be kind pos...
14/05/2026

Block, delete, and carry on: My tips for dealing with bullies.

Today is Pink Shirt Day. You will see a lot of be kind posts, but if you have ever been the target of a bully, you know kindness alone does not always stop them.

I have seen it in kitchens, on shop floors and in offices. It is usually the quiet undermining, the credit stealing, or the victim act they play when called out. It is exhausting and designed to make you feel alone.

Here is how I handle it:

Get everything in writing. In business, bullies love misremembering conversations. Follow up chats with an email immediately. No receipts, no proof.

Stop giving them a reaction. They want you flustered because it gives them control. Stay factual and boring. Without an emotional win, they move on.

Cut them out and stay visible. Use the block button. You do not owe anyone a seat at your table. Keep your good people close so the bully cannot isolate you.

Do not play their game. They will try to provoke you then play the victim. Do not stoop to their level. If you refuse the drama, they usually trip over themselves.

Finally, stand up for your coworkers and those around you.

Pink Shirt Day is a great reminder, but real change comes from a culture where people feel safe. Do not just wear a shirt, make a change.

P.S. I should have ironed the shirt... 🙃

Facebook Advertising: Are You Missing Out on GST Claims?If your business is active on Facebook or Instagram, you are lik...
28/04/2026

Facebook Advertising: Are You Missing Out on GST Claims?

If your business is active on Facebook or Instagram, you are likely spending a fair amount on advertising. But are you handling the tax side correctly? Since April 2019, Meta (the parent company of Facebook and Instagram) has been required to charge 15% GST on ads sold to New Zealand based businesses.

How to Check and Fix Your Setup
To ensure your invoices are compliant and claimable, follow these steps:

Verify: Log into your Meta Business Manager, go to 'Billing', and open a recent invoice. Look for the 15% GST line item.

Update: If it is missing, go to 'Payment Settings' and then 'Tax Info'. Enter your legal business name and your GST number exactly as they appear at IRD.

Confirm: Ensure your business address is explicitly listed as New Zealand.

Click Verify

Meta is the most common platform but the same rules apply to other major digital providers. I recommend performing the same review on:

Google Ads
LinkedIn Ads
TikTok for Business
Microsoft Advertising

Each of these platforms has its own independent billing system. You need to ensure your NZ GST details are correctly entered into each one individually to avoid missing out on those 15% credits. (the list above is not the full list, it should be any platform you are using)

https://taxmadeeasy.co.nz/blog/f/meta-advertising-are-you-missing-out-on-gst-claims

20/04/2026

IRD just dropped a massive reminder about crypto and for many it is going to be an expensive wake-up call.

I have been saying for a long time that the "wild west" days of crypto in NZ were numbered. While people have been online bragging about their gains and acting like the blockchain is a ghost town, IRD has been quietly building their data.

The numbers are staggering: 355,000 users and $36 billion in transactions identified.

With the new Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework (CARF), there is nowhere left to hide. IRD is now receiving data from overseas exchanges and matching it directly to tax returns. If you have traded, swapped or sold crypto, they likely already know about it.

The first batch of letters is currently going out to those on automatic assessments. If you are not on that list but "forgot" to tell your accountant you have some, you might want to remember fairly quickly.

If you have been "forgetting" to declare those gains, now is the time to organise it before they come knocking. Once the audit starts, the options for voluntary disclosure and the leniency that comes with it disappear.

Crypto is property. Gains are income. It is that simple.

If you are sitting on a pile of transactions and are not sure where you stand, get it sorted now. Better to deal with it on your terms than theirs.

https://www.ird.govt.nz/media-releases/2026/crypto-investors-urged-to-get-tax-compliant

There is a lot of talk in the accounting world right now about a major shift in how shareholder loans are taxed in New Z...
07/04/2026

There is a lot of talk in the accounting world right now about a major shift in how shareholder loans are taxed in New Zealand. If you use a shareholder current account to manage your drawings, you need to know where this proposal actually stands.

IRD has released data showing that overdrawn shareholder accounts are more common than most people think. For the 2024 tax year, about 5,550 companies had outstanding shareholder loan balances of more than 1 million dollars each.
The concern is that these loans provide long term access to company profits without the immediate personal tax cost that applies to a salary or a dividend. Essentially, IRD sees this as an unintended tax advantage that needs to be tidied up.

The Original Proposal
The consultation paper released late last year proposed a significant shift from a "manage it over time" system to a "repay it or get taxed" system. The main points were:

The 12 Month Rule: Any new loan made after 4 December 2025 that is not repaid within 12 months of the end of the tax year would be treated as a taxable dividend.

The 50,000 Dollar Threshold: This rule would only kick in if the total company lending to all shareholders is 50,000 dollars or more.

Existing Balances: Loans made before 4 December 2025 are intended to stay under the old rules, provided there is no new lending added to them.

The Roadblock
Since the proposal dropped, there has been major pushback. Experts have pointed out that a strict 12 month limit is extremely complex and could force businesses to refinance at the worst possible times. Not every loan is about avoiding tax; many owners use drawings simply to smooth out their personal cash flow when business income is lumpy.

As of March 2026, reports indicate that parts of the current government are opposing the 12 month rule. The argument is that it adds too much cost and red tape for small businesses. While the most aggressive parts of the plan are currently hitting a wall, IRD remains focused on what happens when a company closes down while still owing large amounts in shareholder loans.

What This Means for You Now
Whether the law changes or not, a heavily overdrawn current account is a business risk. It can lead to Fringe Benefit Tax if interest is not handled correctly, and it always makes your year end accounting more expensive because I have to spend time untangling your personal life from your business transactions.

If you are not 100% sure how these accounts work, you should read the link. https://taxmadeeasy.co.nz/blog/f/shareholder-current-accounts-%E2%80%93-what-are-they

Review Your Balance: Look at how your account has moved over the last two years.
Set a Salary: Pay a regular amount into your personal account and do your personal spending from there.
Keep it Separate: If it is not a business expense, do not use the business card. Period.

Big News: Tax Made Easy is DiversifyingAfter a massive FY26, I have decided that being an accountant is not enough. I ha...
31/03/2026

Big News: Tax Made Easy is Diversifying

After a massive FY26, I have decided that being an accountant is not enough. I have officially branched out into high volume confectionery distribution.

I recently came into a very large, very cheap supply of KitKats. Do not ask about the logistics or the European transit origins, just know that the break room is currently full. As you can see by this delivery, the inventory management side of things is a proper full time job.

If you have been struggling to find your favourite four finger chocolate bar at the supermarket lately, I might have the answer. From today, all tax returns will come with a complimentary 12 pack of KitKats. We have about 400,000 to get through, so tell your mates.

It is a proper win for everyone. You get your tax sorted and a bit of a snack while you are at it.

Have a break. Have a tax return.

The FY26 Finish LineAnother financial year is almost in the books at Tax Made Easy.It has been a massive twelve months. ...
31/03/2026

The FY26 Finish Line

Another financial year is almost in the books at Tax Made Easy.

It has been a massive twelve months. I welcomed 36 new clients into the fold, which is a huge win, though it did result in me taking exactly zero days off this month. That changes on Thursday, 2 April, when I plan on being anywhere that does not involve a spreadsheet.

For the first time, I have actually come down to the wire on filing. Normally, I brag about relaxing while other accountants are stressed and sleep deprived. Well, Karma bit us this year. I am wrapping up one last large set of accounts right now to beat the 31 March deadline.

Until recently, it was just me running the show. I took on a contractor, realised they were not the right fit, and have since replaced them with a genuine super accountant. Having that extra pair of hands has been a game changer.

The economy has also kept us on our toes. My car went from costing $120 to fill the tank to $120 for just over half a tank. At this rate, we will be trading blocks of butter for tax advice.

What is changing from 1 April 2026:

Investment Boost: 20% upfront deduction on most new business assets.

KiwiSaver: Default rates move to 3.5%.

ACC Levies: Earners levy increases to 1.75%.

Minimum Wage: $23.95 per hour.

Property: Interest deductibility is back at 100%.

Time for a break. See you on the other side.

Not every woman deserves a shout out today.That might sound harsh, but let’s be real. International Women’s Day shouldn'...
07/03/2026

Not every woman deserves a shout out today.

That might sound harsh, but let’s be real. International Women’s Day shouldn't be a blanket "everyone is amazing" participation trophy.

I’ve been working for 30 years now. I started at 17, and in three decades of business, I’ve seen it all. I want to celebrate the ones who actually made an impact. The ones who were there when things weren't "LinkedIn perfect."

1. My Wife. She has to be top of the list. We’ve been together 21 years and most of that has been spent laughing at each other. She is smarter, funnier, and fitter than I’ll ever be (though she still struggles with technology, so I’ll take that one win). I’d honestly be in a gutter without her. She’s had my back through every career move and every bit of stress, and I’ve always had hers.

2. Jade Tafua. Jade was my team leader nearly 15 years ago. In an office environment where everyone was playing the popularity contest, Jade didn't bother. She was quiet, patient, and the most loyal leader I’ve ever worked for. When I was down, she had my back, no questions asked. To this day, she’s the benchmark for what a real boss looks like.

3. My Gran. She’s been gone a long time now, but her lessons stuck. She taught me that almost any problem can be solved with a cup of tea and a never ending supply of biscuits. She always had a room for me. It’s a massive shame she passed before my kids were born, because she would have been the best great gran they could have asked for.

I don't care about the generic hashtags. I care about the people who show up, keep it honest, and stay loyal when the wheels fall off.

So for those good ones, I raise my cup of tea to you ;)

Celebrating 7 years in business.7 years ago this week I was lying in North Shore Hospital.I was facing the first of thre...
20/02/2026

Celebrating 7 years in business.

7 years ago this week I was lying in North Shore Hospital.

I was facing the first of three major surgeries for a J Pouch. I’d spent months going to the toilet 16 plus times a day and living on a cocktail of 16 pills that made my face swell and my vision go double. I even had a nurse tell me I was "faking it" when I turned up to the ED.

The timing was brutal. In early February I had quit my job. I’d left a 10 year career to try something new, but the new role wasn’t what I envisaged and the environment was wrong. I was already starting to lose faith in my own ability. I knew if I stayed I would only become more unhappy, so I removed myself from the role.

Then the surgery happened.
Lying in that hospital bed with more surgeries already on the calendar, I realised I had to do something I could fit around my recovery. I needed to support my family and I wasn't going to sit around on a benefit. I knew I had to back myself and build something that worked with my health, not against it. As I said back then: "The fear of change is far worse than making the change."

The week after that surgery I turned my side hustle into a full time business.

7 years later here is what I know:
Perspective is a superpower. After driving myself to the hospital with double vision a busy tax season feels like a walk in the park.

Support is everything. I couldn't have done this without my amazing wife and kids. Their support and the backing of my mates kept me going when things were physically and mentally at their toughest.

Back yourself. Leaving a 10 year career was hard but realising the next move was a mistake and leaving that too was even harder. It was the best decision I ever made.

Life is too short for muppets. I surround myself with people who actually get it.

To every client who has been with me since that hospital bed and everyone who joined along the way thank you.

You helped me prove I could build something great even when I was starting from zero in a hospital ward ♥️

Looking for a partner who:✅ Never forgets an important date (like GST deadlines).✅ Is always honest with you.✅ Actually ...
13/02/2026

Looking for a partner who:
✅ Never forgets an important date (like GST deadlines).
✅ Is always honest with you.
✅ Actually enjoys talking about your finances.

Sorry, we might not be able to help with your dating life... but we’re the perfect match for your business! 💼✨

Wishing all our wonderful clients a lovely Valentine’s Day.

Address

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Hobsonville
0618

Website

http://linktr.ee/taxmadeeasy

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