September 2026

Creating over $35,000 of tax savings through strategic planning

One of our favourite examples this year involved a business group with multiple entities and investment portfolios.

By reviewing the entire picture rather than each entity individually, we identified a combination of tax planning opportunities that produced over $35,000 of benefit through a mix of loss utilisation and overseas investment tax planning.

This is where advisory work creates value beyond compliance.

Improving the tax outcome on a $4.7 million commercial property purchase

Another highlight involved supporting a client purchasing their commercial premises.

By reviewing the purchase-price allocation before settlement, we identified opportunities to improve future depreciation outcomes.

Sometimes the most valuable tax planning occurs before a deal completes rather than after it settles.

August 2026

Christchurch accountability and coaching group

In August we travelled to Christchurch for our quarterly coaching and accountability programme alongside a group of progressive accounting firm owners from around New Zealand.

The purpose of these sessions is simple. We openly share what’s working, what isn’t, and hold each other accountable for the goals we’ve committed to over the next 90 days.

Topics covered included pricing, advisory services, AI and automation, recruitment, client experience, and building businesses that are both profitable and enjoyable to run.

One of the biggest lessons is that many of the challenges accounting firms face are not unique. Sometimes the fastest way to solve a problem is learning from someone who has already solved it.

Helping an emerging technology platform scale properly

We also worked with a fast-growing platform business to establish the correct accounting structure from day one.

Rather than forcing the business into traditional accounting methods, we designed a system that properly reflected how customer funds flowed through the business, creating clearer reporting and better decision-making.

Getting the foundations right early often saves thousands of dollars in cleanup work later.

July 2026

Structuring new ventures correctly from day one

We helped a client establish a new company and ownership structure ahead of a significant contracting opportunity and future business venture.

The discussion covered trust ownership, shareholder structures, personal services attribution rules, and how profits could be retained to fund future growth initiatives.

The best structures are those that support where the business wants to be in five years, not just where it sits today.

Helping clients prepare for growth

Several clients spent this period moving from survival mode back into growth mode.

Our work focused on forecasting, cashflow planning, capacity management, and helping owners understand how expansion could affect financing requirements.

Growth creates opportunities, but unmanaged growth can create just as many problems as decline.

June 2026

Using tax refunds more strategically

One client was due a reasonable tax refund.

Rather than simply returning the money and moving on, we considered how that refund could be used to support future tax obligations and improve overall cashflow.

This resulted in a more coordinated approach to tax payments, business funding and owner withdrawals.

Maximising lower personal tax brackets

Another advisory discussion focused on shareholder remuneration and making better use of available personal tax brackets.

Through a review of the client’s circumstances we identified opportunities to improve their overall after-tax position while keeping the structure straightforward and practical.

Small improvements made consistently over many years can create significant value.

May 2026

Accountability, business coaching and learning from other firms

In May we attended our quarterly accounting firm coaching and accountability group in Auckland.

These sessions bring together firm owners from around New Zealand to openly discuss growth, staffing, pricing, systems, technology and leadership.

Each participant leaves with clear goals and accountability commitments for the next 90 days.

A highlight of the trip was continuing the discussions over dinner at Ragtag in Westmere, a restaurant that has received recognition in Michelin’s New Zealand dining coverage. While the food was outstanding, the real value came from spending time with a group of business owners who openly share ideas, challenges and wins.

Finding smarter ways to structure client businesses

This month also involved helping business owners review company and trust structures to ensure they remained fit for purpose as their businesses continued to evolve.

Effective structures need to support growth, asset protection, succession planning and commercial flexibility, not simply chase a tax outcome.

April 2026

Helping a not-for-profit uncover missed income opportunities

A not-for-profit organisation wanted reassurance that all revenue available under its contracts was being invoiced correctly.

Rather than simply reviewing accounting records, we examined the underlying contracts and compared them with invoicing procedures.

Sometimes the quickest way to improve financial performance isn’t reducing expenditure. It’s ensuring all earned revenue is actually being collected.

Helping business owners prepare for a future sale

We worked with owners considering future succession and exit plans.

Part of that work involved helping them understand the information buyers, financiers and business brokers typically expect to see during a sale process.

The strongest sale outcomes are often achieved years before the “For Sale” sign goes up.

March 2026

Protecting a client’s position during a business sale

Purchase price allocation can have a significant impact on the after-tax proceeds received by a vendor.

We worked alongside the client and their legal advisers to help assess the proposed allocation methodology and identify what additional information was required before commitments were made.

Investing a little more time before settlement can often avoid substantial costs afterwards.

Supporting lender conversations

We also assisted another client requiring management reports and supporting documentation for banking discussions.

Providing information is one thing. Presenting it clearly, accurately and in a way that answers lender questions is often where the greatest value sits.

February 2026

Walking the talk in our own business

One thing we often tell clients is that good businesses don’t run on hope.

February was our own planning month.

We completed our annual budgeting process, prepared a detailed cashflow forecast, reviewed pricing and capacity across the firm, and mapped out priorities for the year ahead.

The same discipline we recommend to clients is applied within our own business. Forecasting helps us identify opportunities, manage risk and make better decisions long before issues appear in the financial statements.

Strong advisory starts with practising what we preach.

Helping a client secure finance despite a complex tax position

Another engagement involved supporting a client who needed updated financial reporting and tax confirmations as part of broader finance and professional advice discussions.

The challenge wasn’t producing reports. It was helping present the position accurately, transparently and professionally while ensuring all parties understood the circumstances.

Good advisory work often sits where tax, finance and communication overlap.

January 2026

Helping a client avoid a tax surprise before it happened

A transport business experienced a significant increase in sales and profitability compared with the previous year.

The risk wasn’t poor performance. The risk was a substantial future tax bill.

By identifying the issue early, we encouraged a detailed tax review so the owners had time to forecast the liability, manage cashflow and avoid unpleasant surprises.

Sometimes the best advisory work is simply helping business owners see around the next corner.

Turning tax planning into cashflow planning

Another engagement involved reviewing provisional tax obligations against current year forecasts.

We identified that the client could potentially overpay tax if existing instalments continued unchanged.

The benefit wasn’t necessarily paying less tax. The benefit was keeping cash available within the business until it was genuinely required.

Business owners rarely complain about holding too much cash.