Publications

The purpose of the trust disclosure rules was to provide insights on how trusts are used, and to ensure compliance with the 39% individual tax rate.

At the beginning of the year, many business owners will have been taking time to think about not only the year ahead, but the long-term viability of their businesses.

What can you do when a neighbour decides that Thursday nights are all night party nights, or you work from home and your neighbour operates some serious machinery throughout the day?

The Government has confirmed landlords are once again able to deduct interest costs on their residential investment properties against rental income.

Purchasing an Occupation Right Agreement (ORA) at a retirement village is a big decision, and it can be a daunting task reviewing all the paperwork that villages are required to provide to you.

All Wills need executors and trustees. While there may be more than one of them, the executor and trustee is usually the same person in a Will.

The Employment Relations (Trial Periods) Amendment Bill (Bill) was passed on 21 December 2023, after a fast-tracked process through Parliament resulting in the 90-trial period being restored for businesses with 20 plus employees.

The new adult minimum wage rate and the starting-out and training rates come into effect on 1 April 2024.

The introduction of the 39% tax rate for individuals who earn over $180,000 from 1 April 2021 has reignited Inland Revenue’s interest in the income attribution and market salary regimes.

The Government is taking action in line with the advice of the Climate Change Commission to increase uptake of low emission vehicles by introducing a range of measures that will help meet New Zealand’s 2050 carbon neutral target.

Loans to beneficiaries are often made without proper consideration as to the preservation of trust assets or how these will affect any benefits to beneficiaries.

Trial and probationary periods look very similar and are used for similar reasons but they are fundamentally different. The main differences are set out in this article.

Property sharing agreements are becoming more prevalent as individuals seek certainty of outcomes, where unforeseen circumstances intervene after property purchases.

The Wills Act 2007 governs how wills should be prepared, executed, amended, and administered. The Act was introduced to make the law around wills easier to understand, with a single reference point rather than spread over different statutes.

The End of Live Choice Act 2019 came into effect in November 2021. It establishes the framework for the process, the eligibility and safeguards for the service of assisted dying in New Zealand. It is overseen by the Ministry of Health Manatu Hauroa.

Section 26 of the Care of Children Act 2004 provides that a testamentary guardian is a guardian appointed by deed or by will by a parent of a child.

Event organisers now have new legislation that allows for drug testing at concerts and festivals. Previously in New Zealand drug testing organisations have conducted tests at festivals with the risk of being prosecuted.

Smoking cigarettes has always been permitted in New Zealand. In more recent times the health hazards that smoking poses have been well researched, documented and publicised.

As climate change issues come more clearly into focus, so do the relevance and effects of the Emissions Trading Scheme.

The Holidays Act 2003 (HA) sets out that employers must take into account ‘gross earnings’ when calculating payments for holidays.

The brightline property rule applies to properties purchased after 1 October 2015. It looks into what period the property was acquired and when it is being sold.

The Official Information Act (“the Act”) came into effect in 1982 in order to repeal the 1951 Official Secrets Act, with the purpose being to increase the availability of official information.

Most guarantees have an “anti-discharge” clause, these clauses are designed to prevent a guarantor from being discharged from liability and allows the creditor to vary the underlying contract without the guarantor being discharged from their obligations.

A cross-lease title creates two or more legal estates having multiple owners who all have a separate lease for the house or flat with an undivided share in ownership of the entire land/site.

In recent years the medical condition of a donor under a power of attorney has become increasingly important and therefore documented. Medical certifications as to mental capability are of particular importance.