Important Updates

Trust Changes – updated A much talked about topic for Trusts of late is the trust income tax rate change. From the 2024/2025 income year onwards, the Trust tax rate that applies to trustee income has raised from 33% to 39%. Along with this change there are some specific new rules required to mitigate potential […]

More payroll increases coming 1 april 2025. Minimum wage increase The adult minimum wage will rise from $23.15 to $23.50 per hour, and the starting-out and training minimum wage will increase from $18.52 to $18.80 per hour. If an employee is aged 16 or over, the employee must be paid at least the minimum wage.

Manage your cash this summer Our Kiwi summer will soon be here and with it comes the holiday and festive season. This year has been challenging for business owners and households. It is therefore tempting that the end of year ‘silly’ season can be a time to celebrate, wind down and take the foot off

Cashing up an employee’s annual leave Christmas is on its way and with this pending holiday comes the typical myriad of additional pressures. This is the time of year that some employees may be thinking about their leave balances and pondering if they could have some of this balance paid out in cash. If your

The 2025 dairy season has set off with a bang! The lift in the farm gate milk price to $9.00 kg/ms, with a range of $8.25-$9.75 kg/ms has brought about some welcome confidence to the industry and our farmers. Alongside this increased payout, many farms started in a positive position for 1 June 2024 with

Trust Changes The law of Trusts has undergone a significant update in the past few years. Firstly, the Trusts Act 2019 came into effect in January 2021. The new Act reformed Trust law and brought it up to date by providing mechanisms to resolve trust disputes, providing Trust administration rules, setting out core trust law

Looking Beyond Fines. Unlocking the benefits of Farm Compliance. In today’s evolving agricultural landscape, farm compliance is more than just a regulatory requirement. It’s considered a strategic investment in your business’s long-term success. While non-compliance can lead to significant financial penalties, it’s important to recognise the broader benefits that compliance can offer. By prioritising compliance,

Passion for supporting Dairy Farming CooperAitken are extremely passionate about our communities and taking pride in getting involved and supporting in any way we can. One of the many ways we are involved in supporting the agricultural industry is through the  Waikato New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards, as a sponsor, as well as many team

Let’s talk ACC Employer Invoices Do you employ staff? It’s that time of the year and if you have employees, you will receive an invoice  from ACC.  All businesses will pay employer levies to ACC to cover the cost of all work-related accidental injuries.   These levies go towards treatment and rehabilitation so your employee can

Evidence of Compliance Be Audit ready: Streamline Evidence Collection for your farm Running a farm requires juggling many responsibilities, and compliance can feel like another burden.  But what if you could transfer audits from stressful events to smooth demonstrations of your commitment to best practices.  The key lies in having a well-organised system for evidence