The Animal Welfare Bill has been passed, significantly raising penalties for cruelty to animals. The Animal Welfare Amendment Act increases the maximum sentence for animal ill-treatment and neglect from three to five years and the maximum fine will double to $100,000 for an individual and $500,000 for a body corporate. The Act redefines the description [...]
The Government is considering repealing gift duty. Gift duty is a tax that you must pay when you give away more than $27,000 worth of property in one year. This may be by cash, forgiving a debt, transferring a house or other property to your trust. The original purpose of gift duty was stop people [...]
Quitting your job can be a stressful time. The situation is made worse when your boss is not happy you are leaving and tells you not to come into work, makes your last days at work intolerable or does not want to give you your full and final pay. Both you and your boss must [...]
Your brand is your reputation. It is the way you and other people view you and your business. One aspect of your brand is your trademark. Having a memorable and well managed trade mark is a powerful way to distinguish your business products and services from your competitors. The idea is to create a distinctive [...]
I attended the Whangarei Business Owners Forum last week. The Business Owners Forum was held at the office of Elevate CA in Whangarei and the topic was A Rough Guide to Valuing Your Business. The panel of experts included Whangarei chartered accountant Fraser Hurrell from Elevate CA, Whangarei lawyer Stuart Spicer from Webb Ross, and [...]
The GST rate is probably increasing from 12.5% to 15%. We should know for sure by this Thursday (20 May 2010) when the Government announces the Budget. The increase is likely to be effective from 1 October 2010. The GST rate increase could not come at a worse time. We are still suffering from the [...]
Landlords and tenants should be aware of the costs they might incur when leasing commercial premises. This is all the more important in the current economic climate as landlords and tenants need to know what costs to plan for. Each lease is different, so the landlord and tenant's respective obligations will depend on the terms [...]
Legislation has been passed amending the definition of “associated persons” in the Income Tax Act 2007. Trustees are now associated with a trust if they hold the power to appoint or remove trustees. One of the consequences is that a trustee who is a dealer, developer or builder will “taint” the trust with that status [...]
In the current economic climate any extra financial assistance can help make ends meet. If you or someone you know is part of the baby boomer bubble that we so often hear about and is about to enter a rest home, that person may be able to get financial help from the government. In this [...]
