Looking for an accountant in Timaru? We're your tax planning specialists in South Canterbury. HC Partners – Competition Terms and Conditions
1.
Our goal is to ensure each and every clients tax bill is minimised while complying with all legal obligations. Promoter
1.1 The promoter of all competitions and prize draws (each a “Promotion”) is HC Partners LP (“HC Partners”, “we”, “us”, “our”), 39 George Street, Timaru 7940, New Zealand.
1.2 Additional competition‑specific details (such as prize descriptions, dates and entry mechanics) will be
set out in the relevant promotional material (for example, social media posts, website pages or email campaigns). Those details form part of these Terms and Conditions.
2. Eligibility
2.1 Unless stated otherwise in the promotional material, Promotions are open to legal residents of New Zealand aged 18 years or over.
2.2 HC Partners employees are not eligible to enter, unless expressly stated otherwise.
2.3 HC Partners may request proof of identity, age and residency and may invalidate any entry that does not provide satisfactory proof.
3. How to Enter
3.1 Entry instructions for each Promotion (including how to enter, any conditions, and the Promotion period) will be set out in the relevant promotional material and form part of these Terms and Conditions.
3.2 Unless otherwise stated, entry is free and no purchase is necessary. Standard internet, data or postal charges may apply and are the responsibility of the entrant.
3.3 Entries must be received within the Promotion period specified in the promotional material. Entries received outside that period will not be accepted.
3.4 Unless otherwise stated, there is a limit of one entry per person per Promotion. Duplicate, automated or bulk entries may be disqualified.
4. Prizes
4.1 The nature, quantity and approximate value of prizes for each Promotion will be described in the relevant promotional material.
4.2 Prizes are not transferable or exchangeable and cannot be taken as cash, unless we expressly agree otherwise.
4.3 If any prize (or part of a prize) becomes unavailable for reasons beyond our reasonable control, HC Partners may substitute a prize of equal or greater value.
5. Winner Selection and Notification
5.1 The method for selecting winners (for example, random draw or judged competition) will be described in the promotional material.
5.2 Random draws (if applicable) will be conducted by HC Partners or its authorised representative at a time reasonably soon after the Promotion period ends.
5.3 Unless otherwise stated, winners will be notified using the contact details or platform used to enter (for example, email, phone, or direct message on social media).
5.4 Winners must respond and claim their prize within the timeframe stated in the promotional material, or if no timeframe is specified, within 7 working days of first being contacted. If a winner does not respond in time, cannot be contacted, is ineligible or declines the prize, HC Partners may at its discretion select an alternative winner or cancel the prize.
5.5 If it is not clear who submitted an entry, HC Partners may treat the authorised account holder of the relevant email address, phone number or social media account as the entrant.
6. Prize Delivery or Collection
6.1 Details of how prizes will be supplied, delivered or collected will be arranged with each winner.
6.2 Where collection is required, winners are responsible for their own travel and any associated costs, unless stated otherwise.
6.3 If a winner does not take or redeem a prize within any specified timeframe, the prize may be forfeited.
7. Content, Conduct and Disqualification
7.1 Entrants must comply with all applicable laws and must not submit any content that is unlawful, defamatory, obscene, offensive, misleading or that infringes the rights (including intellectual property or privacy rights) of any third party.
7.2 By submitting any content (including text, images, video or other materials) as part of a Promotion, entrants warrant that they either own that content or have the necessary rights and permissions to use and submit it.
7.3 HC Partners may, in its sole discretion, disqualify any entry or entrant that does not comply with these Terms and Conditions or that may, in HC Partners’ opinion, damage its reputation or that of any other person.
8. Use of Entries and Publicity
8.1 By entering a Promotion, entrants grant HC Partners a non‑exclusive, royalty‑free, worldwide licence to use, reproduce, adapt, publish and communicate their name, social media handle and any entry content for the purposes of administering the Promotion and for reasonable promotional and marketing purposes in any media, without further compensation (unless prohibited by law).
8.2 Winners may be asked to participate in reasonable publicity activities (such as photographs, interviews or quotes) relating to the Promotion. By entering, winners agree to such use of their name and general location (e.g. city or region), unless they notify HC Partners otherwise.
9. Privacy
9.1 HC Partners collects personal information about entrants (such as name, contact details and any other information provided) for the purposes of administering Promotions, contacting winners and for any related publicity as described in these Terms and Conditions.
9.2 Personal information will be handled in accordance with New Zealand privacy law and HC Partners’ Privacy Policy.
9.3 Entrants may request access to and correction of their personal information by contacting HC Partners.
10. Social Media Promotions
10.1 Where a Promotion is conducted on or promoted through social media platforms (including but not limited to Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn), entrants must comply with the terms of use and policies of those platforms.
10.2 Promotions are in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with any social media platform used. Entrants acknowledge that they are providing their information to HC Partners and not to any social media platform.
10.3 By entering, entrants release all social media platforms used in connection with the Promotion from any liability arising out of or in connection with the Promotion.
11. General
11.1 Entry into any Promotion constitutes acceptance of these General Competition Terms and Conditions and any competition‑specific terms set out in the relevant promotional material.
11.2 HC Partners’ decisions in relation to any Promotion (including eligibility, winner selection, prize allocation and interpretation of these Terms and Conditions) are final, and no correspondence will be entered into.
11.3 HC Partners reserves the right to amend, suspend or cancel any Promotion or these Terms and Conditions at any time if events beyond its reasonable control require this, provided that such changes will not materially disadvantage existing entrants.
11.4 To the maximum extent permitted by law, HC Partners and its related entities, employees and agents are not liable for any loss, damage or injury (including indirect or consequential loss) suffered or claimed in connection with any Promotion or prize, except for any liability that cannot be excluded by law.
11.5 These Terms and Conditions, and any Promotions to which they apply, are governed by the laws of New Zealand and entrants submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the New Zealand courts.
25/03/2026
If you use a payroll system, you may have been contacted directly by your payroll provider about the changes to Kiwisaver rates for employees and employees from 1st April 2026 in respect of the increase in the default rate to 3.5%.
Here is Xero's advice which we have received today.
Make sure you don't delete emails from your payroll provider that are coming in now, as they will be able to point you in the right direction, or just contact them direct.
Inland Revenue - Scam Emails
Important Reminders from HC Partners LP
We are aware that there are a number of Inland Revenue scam emails going around currently referring to your 2026 income tax assessment.
The key things to look for in spam emails
• The email address is usually random and not an Inland Revenue email address. Inland Revenue email addresses contain .govt.nz.
• Emails from Inland Revenue will never have hyperlinks to click in their messages.
Other key points to remember are:
• Payments should always be made through your internet banking or your myIR login, not by clicking a hyperlink from an email.
• If you are unsure if the email you have received is a spam email, please get in touch with one of our team at HC Partners LP
14/03/2026
Bank scams are on the increase - here are some tips from the team at Westpac ⬇️
🚨 Scam Alert: Bank impersonation targeting businesses 🚨
We’re seeing a noticeable increase in sophisticated scams in which fraudsters impersonate Westpac employees in an attempt to steal funds from business customers of all sizes - from tradespeople to small and medium enterprises across the country.
These attacks are becoming more convincing and can result in high losses to companies and individuals.
The scammers often call and claim they need to “protect” customers from supposed internal fraud or erroneous overseas payments. They may even advise people not to contact Westpac directly.
This is classic social engineering. The fraudsters sound legitimate, often have detailed personal information, and create a sense of urgency or fear to gain trust. Be aware of red flags such as the conversation shifting to WhatsApp or other unofficial channels.
A common feature appears to be the scammer asking the victim to log in to Westpac Business Online with a link they provide. This is a fake site used to harvest details and transfer money offshore or to payees who are then contacted and asked to return the money to the fraudsters.
🔒 Our advice is simple: If you ever feel uncomfortable or unsure during an unsolicited call, hang up immediately and call Westpac back using a number from our official website. This one step can prevent significant financial loss.
If you think your data may have been breached, here’s a guide to securing your information: westpac.co.nz/personal/ways-to-bank/safety-and-security/cybersecurity/ -breaches
Staying vigilant is one of the strongest defences we have. Please share this message to help protect others in your network.
13/03/2026
Did you know that the IRD has a calendar that has all the tax due dates on it? Head over to the website (link in below post) to find it, print it off and pop it in a visible place so you can see what’s coming and never miss a filing or payment date again. If you need a hand, give us a call 📆💸
Do you file and pay GST?
Here’s your reminder that monthly GST returns and payments for the taxable period ending 28 February are due 30 March. 🔔
For a list of key dates, visit ird.govt.nz/index/key-dates
If you're unable to pay a tax bill in one lump sum you can set up an instalment arrangement and start making weekly or fortnightly repayments. You can set it up yourself in myIR.
Have a read to see how your donations can make a difference, and how you can get the tax rebate on them 💰
How Dermott Made His Gift Go Further — Aoraki Foundation
How Dermott O’Sullivan and His Accountant Made a Scholarship Go Further When farmer and former valuer Dermott O’Sullivan set out to support young people into land‑based careers, his initial plan was simple: fund a $5,000 agricultural scholarship each year for a local student heading to Lincoln...
26/02/2026
22/02/2026
Everyone should celebrate paying tax, right?! Here are the next lot of upcoming tax dates to be aware of. As always, if you have any questions or need a hand give us a call.
22/02/2026
South Canterbury Rural Support Trust is bringing internationally recognised resilience expert Dr Lucy Hone to Timaru on Thursday 26th March. See the post below to book your place.
📣 SAVE THE DATE 📣
South Canterbury Rural Support Trust is proud to bring internationally recognised resilience expert Dr Lucy Hone to Timaru.
🗓 26 March 2026 (Evening-Time TBC)
📍 Timaru (venue TBC)
Dr Lucy Hone is a resilience researcher, grief educator and real-life practitioner who shares practical, evidence-based tools to help people navigate challenge, uncertainty and change- something many in our rural communities know all too well.
🎥 Watch Lucy’s powerful TED Talk here (9 million others have already): https://youtu.be/NWH8N-BvhAw?si=DwgtzTXFzA7ACBLd
🎧 Listen to her recent interview on the Between Two Beers podcast: https://www.betweentwobeerspodcast.com/episodes/lucy-hone
You can also learn more about Lucy and her work here: https://www.drlucyhone.com/
More event details coming soon- but for now, mark it in the diary!
This event is proudly brought to you by South Canterbury Rural Support Trust
15/02/2026
Investment Boost - give us a call to see how this works for your business!
Do you own a business?
Investment Boost allows businesses to claim 20% deductions for the costs of new (or new to New Zealand) business assets, acquired on or after 22 May 2025.
Examples of depreciable business assets include new commercial and industrial buildings, machinery, technology, equipment and work vehicles.
Find out more: ird.govt.nz/investment-boost
02/02/2026
Kiwisaver rates are changing from 1 April 2026 - see IRD's advice here: https://www.ird.govt.nz/kiwisaver-changes
> Default employer and employee contribution rates - increasing to 3.5% (from 3%)
>Temporary rate reduction available from 1 February 2026
> If you’re aged 16 or 17 you’ll qualify for employer KiwiSaver contributions from 1 April 2026, so long as you meet other eligibility requirements (is only applicable to employees aged 18 to 65 prior to 1 April 2026)
The default KiwiSaver contribution rates will increase to 3.5% (from 3%) from 1 April 2026.
KiwiSaver members can choose to apply for a temporary rate reduction if they need to. Members might choose to apply for the rate reduction or a savings suspension because they can’t afford the rate increase or they want to save in other ways.
Their rate reduction wouldn’t take effect until their first pay on or after 1 April.
25/03/2026
14/03/2026
13/03/2026
12/03/2026
26/02/2026
22/02/2026
22/02/2026
15/02/2026
02/02/2026
25/01/2026