Laura Drury Accountant NZ

"Buying a ute in March saves me tax."
It saves you tax. Just nowhere near the amount most people think.
Say the ute is $60,000 and you buy it in March. You owned it for one month of the tax year, so you claim one month of depreciation. At a 30% diminishing value rate that is about $1,500. At the company rate, that is about $420 of tax.
You spent $60,000. You saved $420 this year. The rest of the deduction turns up over the following years, a bit at a time.
That does not make it a bad purchase. If the business needs the ute, buy the ute. Buy it because it earns you money, not because someone at the pub called it a write off.
Save this for the next time March gets close.
Numbers are an example only. Rates and entitlements differ.

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From 1 July – A Few Tax & Financial Updates Worth Knowing

As we head into the second half of the year, there are a few tax and financial changes that may affect you, your family, or your business.

Paid Parental Leave
The maximum payment has increased from $788.66 to $811.05 per week (before tax). Over a full 26-week entitlement, this equates to around $580 extra for eligible parents.

Working for Families
Annual updates from 1 July include adjustments to how family scheme income is calculated and eligibility settings. Depending on your circumstances, some families may see changes in their entitlement. It’s a good time to review if your income or family situation has changed..

A few other tax changes have also been introduced recently:

From 1 April 2026 – Foreign Investment Fund (FIF) rules
As part of Budget 2026, the Government has proposed changes including an increase in the FIF threshold from $50,000 to $100,000 (cost base) and broader access to alternative calculation methods.
If enacted, these changes would reduce compliance for many New Zealanders with overseas investments such as shares.

If you'd like to discuss any of these changes or review your tax position, get in touch—we're always happy to help.

⏰ Friendly Reminder ⏰

GST and Provisional Tax payments are due today for many NZ businesses and taxpayers.

This may apply to you if you:
✔️ File 1-monthly, 2-monthly, or 6-monthly GST returns
✔️ Pay Provisional Tax
✔️ Are linked to our tax agency services

Please ensure your returns and payments are completed today to avoid late penalties and interest from IRD.

If you’re unsure whether this applies to you, get in touch with our team and we’ll be happy to help.

Fuel's up. Materials are up. Holding your prices is quietly eating your margin.
The good news? Customers don't usually walk away because prices went up. They walk because they felt blindsided.
I've written up four practical ways to pass costs on without losing the customer, from fuel levies to escalation clauses to the quote tweak most tradies miss. Worth a read if you're feeling the squeeze right now.
Link in comments.