Sutcliffe Graham & Co

The King's Birthday long weekend on 1 June marks the unofficial halfway point of the calendar year. Our office will be closed for the day as we take a quick breather.

Have a great long weekend!

Meet Ella!

Ella has been a valuable part of the Sutcliffe Graham team since 2024. She primarily works with small and medium businesses and property investment clients.

Ella is highly organised and clients appreciate her friendly, helpful manner. Outside of work, Ella loves spending time with family and friends, and enjoys being in the great outdoors, whether at the beach, lake, bush or at home in the garden. When not outdoors, Ella channels her creativity through sewing, pottery, and painting, bringing a well-rounded approach to both personal and professional life.

Areas of Expertise
Annual Accounting & Compliance | GST | Xero & Payroll Support

If you provide benefits to your employees you may be effected by changes to Fringe Benefit Tax (FBT).

A fringe benefit is a non-cash benefit that you or a third party provide to one of your employees. This could include benefits like offering employees a car, health insurance, gym membership, gift cards, staff discounts etc. You may need to pay Fringe Benefit Tax (FBT) on these benefits. There are four main groups of taxable fringe benefits:

- Motor vehicles available for personal use
- Free, subsidised or discounted goods and services
- Low-interest loans (other than those provided by life insurance companies)
- Employer contributions to sickness, accident or death benefit funds, specified insurance policies, and superannuation schemes not subject to employer superannuation contribution tax (ESCT).

From April 2026 changes have been introduced to FBT that may affect how employers treat certain benefits. In some cases you now have more flexibility to choose whether to apply FBT or to treat a benefit as employment income with PAYE deducted.

Talk to our team if you’re unsure whether you have the right tax treatment for your employee benefits. We can review your current employee benefits and how they may be affected by the recent changes to FBT legislation and compliance.

Meet Abby!

Abby has returned home to Tauranga to complete the Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CAANZ) pathway after working at BDO in Auckland. Abby values the clarity that accounting brings to business, and enjoys making financial information clear, practical, and empowering for business owners.

Away from the office, Abby is a competitive track and field sprinter, a decaf coffee drinker (she’s already wide awake!) and she values friends, family and her Christian faith.

Areas of Expertise
Annual Accounting & Compliance | Tax Planning & Management | Xero & Payroll Support

Oliver is off on his overseas adventure! Oliver will be travelling and working in Europe with his partner for the next couple of years. We wish Oliver all the best (and for no more moon boots while he's away) and look forward to his return after experiencing everything Europe has to offer.

Small businesses are particularly vulnerable in tough economic times. When sales are slow, there are still overheads and salaries that need to be sorted. Pre-planning and being proactive can help you weather tighter economic periods and allow you to continue to thrive.

Read more here: www.sutcliffegraham.nz/blog/keeping-your-cashflow-strong-in-tough-times

Meet Michele!

Michele brings over 20 years of accounting experience, with a strong background in commercial accounting. She is known for her practical approach and attention to detail, helping businesses stay organised and make informed financial decisions.

Originally from South Africa, Michele has called New Zealand home for the past nine years and is now a proud citizen. On weekends, you can find Michele at the beach with her family or at various sporting events around the region, cheering on her daughter.

Areas of Expertise
Annual Accounting & Compliance | Consultancy & Special Projects | Tax Planning & Management | Xero & Payroll Support | Financial Structures

Meet Mickaela!

Mickaela is from the Waikato but has moved to the Bay of Plenty with her husband to embrace the relaxed beach lifestyle Tauranga is known for. Her weekends are often spent enjoying coffee by the water or walking along the beach with her two energetic Border Collies. She also loves hosting friends for dinner and exploring local restaurants in search of new meals to recreate at home.

In the office, Mickaela is passionate about helping clients understand their financials so they can make confident, informed decisions about their businesses. She also enjoys helping clients streamline processes and reduce the administrative burden of running a business through the features of their accounting software and add-ons.

Areas of Expertise
Annual Accounting & Compliance | Consultancy & Special Projects | Tax Planning & Management | Xero & Payroll Support | Financial Structures

Dealing with economic uncertainty.

Scenario planning can help you prepare when operating in volatile and changeable business environments. Learn more in our latest blog post: https://www.sutcliffegraham.nz/blog/dealing-with-economic-uncertainty

Around half of small businesses struggle with late payments. Here are 6-steps for prompt payment:

1. Have a plan
2. Invoice immediately
3. Remove the back-and-forth
4. Ask for prompt payment
5. Make it easy to pay
6. Follow up

Click here for more: https://www.sutcliffegraham.nz/blog/get-paid-on-time