As part of the government’s efforts to address the concerns around rising house prices, new tax rules on ring-fencing rental losses have been introduced.  The goal of the new rules is to improve housing affordability for owner-occupiers by reducing demand from property speculators and investors.

The new ring-fencing rules came into effect on 1 April 2019 and will impact 2020 income tax returns.

What do the rules mean?
Historically when a rental property made a tax loss for its

Houston we have a problem! To avoid such words after having signed an agreement to lease it is important that tenants get advice before signing the agreement.  Once an agreement has been signed it is binding and therefore difficult to negotiate any amendments.

Here are some tips that tenants should consider before entering into an agreement to lease:

Rent Reviews
Rent reviews play an important part in any lease. Look to limit exposure to large rent hikes. Reviews are

In the early stages of a start-up, founders typically seek to bootstrap (i.e. self-fund) their operations in order to preserve value through their hard work and expertise. At some stage, most start-ups will need a cash infusion to grow their business and take it to profitability. That’s where investors come in.

Before raising capital, it is important to understand the most common forms of seed investments: equity and convertible debt. Each form of funding has its own pros and cons, and is a

How do the New Zealand courts deal with spousal maintenance?
It is important to note that spousal maintenance in New Zealand (from one adult to support the other adult) is different to child support (for the children).

In New Zealand spousal maintenance is payable if, following separation, one party is unable to meet their reasonable needs. If that party can demonstrate that their inability to meet their reasonable needs arises because of one of the qualifying circumstances, then