Keeping up with your tax obligations can sometimes seem a drag: forms to be filled in, changes to keep abreast of and an incessant focus on the detail. Mistakes can be costly. A few dollars here and there might be overlooked but get it much more wrong and you can be...
IRD wants to know what employers think of their proposals for correcting and adjusting PAYE filings. This recently released officials' paper sets out the background and proposals: http://taxpolicy.ird.govt.nz/publications/2017-ip-paye-error-correction/overview A tax...
Recently from the Court of Appeal, another example of how GST can derail what should have been a simple property sale. Y & P NZ Ltd v Yang Wang & Chen Zhang [2017] NZCA 280 is a decision from the Court of Appeal about whether caveats registered by the...
It looks like Australia will reduce its $1,000 low value import threshold to $20. http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/gst-on-lowvalue-imported-parcels-moving-closer-20150721-gihfgy.html This issue has been around for ages. The main objection to a...
EY's digitally interactive report on managing indirect tax disputes is definitely worth a read. http://www.ey.com/indirectcontroversy The report has a host of useful information about modern indirect tax audits, common errors and how smart businesses are managing...
Simon Moutter, Spark's MD, says overseas companies like Netflix are avoiding GST. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11422160 He has a point, and it's not news really. But the debate grows as more New Zealand businesses feel the...
Some discussion lately on tips and GST. It's become more common for eftpos devices to offer customers a tipping option when paying their bills. The GST implications of this are more complex than the old-fashioned method of slipping a bit of extra cash to the staff...
The IRD has just released for consultation a "Questions we've been asked" draft paper on the GST treatment of lotteries, raffles, sweepstakes and prize competitions. You can find it here:...
IRD has published its Public Rulings work programme for 2014/15. You can find the full document here: http://www.ird.govt.nz/resources/7/7/77d3ecdd-6305-408a-8b88-541e509f487b/download-pr-work-programme-2014-2015.pdf Given GST is by far the most interesting tax here...
At the Global Forum on VAT in Tokyo last week 86 countries signed up to the first agreed framework for applying VAT to internationally traded services and intangibles. The new guidelines set out core VAT principles to be applied when taxing services and intangibles,...
At least it's a start. An update on the South African proposal to require non-resident e-services suppliers to register for VAT. The effective date for the new rules has been stretched out to 1 June 2014 (an extension of 2 months) to allow businesses more time to...
Brian Fallow's opinion piece in today's Herald on residential bodies corporate and GST is timely. See here: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=11231055 This issue baffles me. Why is it so complicated and why is it taking so long...
Might as well start the year with a bit of good news, even if it's a little old by now. On 11 December the Government gave us a xmas present with the announcement by the Minister of Customs the Temporary Import period for yachts, launches and small craft will be...
You can't claim GST back on an expense unless you actually receive whatever it is you are paying for. That's the message from the Australian Federal Court in a decision released on 1 November [Professional Admin Service Centres Pty Ltd v FC of T]. In that case the...
Yesterday the Australian Tax Office issued a practice statement explaining when it would overlook an incorrect GST input claim made by a business. You can read it here On the face of it the practice statement reeks of commonsense. The supplier wrongly applies GST to...
Once again the issue of internet purchases coming in to NZ GST free is hitting the news. See here In my view this needs to be addressed. The size of the problem will only increase. Having any kind of exemption like this distorts our GST system and favours some at the...
Receiving emissions units can cost you. It's easy to assume GST doesn't apply to emissions units. The legislation has specific provisions which "zero rate" many supplies of emissions units so perhaps the natural presumption is, you don't have to worry about GST...
The Australian Tax Office has updated their GST Food List. The 86 page Food List details from 'A' to 'Z' the GST treatment of hundreds of food items. It is necessary because in Australia some foods are subject to GST and some are not. For example, a fruit bun with a...