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Xero Support & Learning

Needing help with Xero but unable to meet with your accountant face to face? Xero might be able to help you! In your Xero file on your My Xero page at the top there is a tab called "Learning & Tools". This tab will take you to Xero Central where you have access to Support from Xero experts, articles, courses, videos and more! You can also access Xero Help by navigating to the top right hand side and clicking on the little question mark from any screen within your Xero login. This will drop ...

Accounting 101: Mixed Use Business Vehicles

Company Vehicles available for Private Use by Shareholders – Logbook or FBT? Shareholders of companies often use their personal vehicles for business and private purposes. To deal with that private use aspect - a Close Company (a company with 5 or fewer natural persons with voting or market interests in the company of more than 50%) has the option of using either a Logbook (actual use) basis or a Fringe Benefit Tax (FBT) basis. For a company to be able to use the logbook method it must only h...

Payroll Update

Business Shutdown – Leave Management Plan: Have you worked out your team’s Leave Management Plan? If your business traditionally shuts down over the festive season you need to plan closing and opening days, check if anyone needs to work during the closedown, get your team sending in their leave requests, and start organising!  Check out People in Mind’s excellent article on ‘Planning Leave for the festive season’: https://www.peopleinmind.co.nz/planning-for-the-festive-season...

Dairy Women's Network Event

MAKE TIME FOR YOUR PEOPLE TO STRENGTHEN YOUR FARM BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY Following a successful first round, Dairy Women’s Network are bringing back their highly-rated 'Make Time For Your People' workshops, funded by the Ministry for Primary Industries.  With the current COVID-19 status and uncertainty of levels Dairy Women's Network are moving these events to online webinar. There will be four webinars across four days, REGISTER NOW: Part 1 - Monday 22 November 12.30pm, presented by Lee ...

5 Ideas for Spring Self-Care

As the year starts to slip away from us and stress levels begin to rise, it is a great time to think about our mental health and what we could do to prioritise self-care. Keep reading to find out about 5 ideas for spring self-care that we think could be beneficial to our everyday lives: 1. Mindfulness - a simple but effective way to relax. It is about being in the present moment, about being aware of how you are feeling and figuring out how to unwind. Mindful meditation is a fast and easy way to...

In the Office

During Maori Language Week we learnt, listened, spoke, played and read Te Reo. Upskilling and supporting our indigenous culture and language is important in our office. We are proud to be apart of Aotearoa....

In the Community

During September we held a Blue Bake-off fundraiser in the office in support of the Prostate Cancer Foundation NZ. It is safe to say we have some outstanding bakers in the office as well as some very generous people who wouldn't say no to supporting a great cause! Side note - the champions of the bake off were Katie with her delicious Lemon Blueberry Yogurt Cake and Jamie for his famous Cheese scones! ...

Featured Client

Hi I'm Elly, the owner and face of Mostly Vegan. After going vegan in 2017 I quickly realised it was too tricky to find things here in the Waikato! Mostly Vegan has quickly become so much more than I could have hoped for. It’s your one stop shop for all things vegan and eco-friendly! Located in Hamilton East and delivering New Zealand wide. We offer alternatives for everything from cheese to toothpaste. Covering vegan, gluten free, keto and more! Click here to check out Mostly Vegan or shop on...

Featured Client

Hi I'm Elly, the owner and face of Mostly Vegan. After going vegan in 2017 I quickly realised it was too tricky to find things here in the Waikato! Mostly Vegan has quickly become so much more than I could have hoped for. It’s your one stop shop for all things vegan and eco-friendly! Located in Hamilton East and delivering New Zealand wide. We offer alternatives for everything from cheese to toothpaste. Covering vegan, gluten free, keto and more! Click here to check out Mostly Vegan or shop on...

Cyber Up with CERT NZ

This week is Cyber Smart Week and at A4 "it's not just about the numbers", we take our clients and our own safety seriously. Follow these important steps by CERT NZ to UP your defenses: Upsize your passwords - create passwords that are long and strong!Upgrade to multi factor authentication - the more layers of security the safer you are.Uphold your privacy - make sure the request to share personal information is legitimate. The information you share could enable hackers to impersonate you online...

Remote work is on the rise - support your virtual team

Remote working has become more and more common as lockdowns have changed our working life and developments in technology have allowed us to communicate and collaborate no matter where we are. Remote work is on the rise, and offering flexibility to your staff can be an essential tool to both attract new talent and retain your existing team. When you’re recruiting, the ability to offer an entirely remote position can mean that you’re suddenly able to consider candidates from across the country...

Join Our Team!

What’s the role We are seeking a confident, productive and motivated person with at least 1-3 years accounting experience in a CA office to join our accounting team. We are flexible with work hours and options to work from home.  This is a great opportunity for the right person who wants to fast-forward their accountancy career, while working closely with a variety of interesting clients and a supportive, professional and fun team. What you need At least 1-3 years accounting experience i...

Could a 4-day week be a good fit for your team?

The pandemic has acted as an impetus for reflection, with many workers and business people reassessing the hours they work and the priority that work has in their lives.A survey from Slack showed that 72% of respondents would prefer a hybrid approach to work – i.e. a mix of remote and office work. But there’s also a growing belief that we should be working fewer hours too and aiming for a ‘4-day week’. This would mean less time in the workplace and more time with our friends and families...

Are you making time for mindfulness?

As business owners, we all know the pressure of being the driving force behind a business. It can be a stressful experience, and this can have an impact on your wellbeing. Running a business takes up so much of your time, and can consume your waking thoughts. But a tired, stressed and anxious owner is not an effective owner – so there's an increasing need to focus on mental health and to bring elements of mindfulness, meditation and contemplation into your routine. And, investing in employee w...

Rules for NZ businesses at different alert levels

Although we have been here before, it can be hard to remember the rules on operating businesses at the different Alert levels.  The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s website has a useful guidance table for businesses at Alert level 2, 3 and 4. Familiarise yourself with the rules now, so that you can be ready with a plan for each change in Alert Level. Visit the MBIE site here. While Alert evel 4 lockdown has prevented most businesses from operating, at Alert level 3 m...

Your GST return is due on the 28th

Your GST return is due soon. You need to file your GST return at the end of every taxable period (this may be monthly, 2 monthly or 6 monthly depending on the frequency you have chosen for your business - you can check this with us).We can help you file your return and pay by the due date to avoid late penalties. Have you got your paperwork in order? - You’ll need to calculate the following to work out your return: Total sales and income for the taxable periodTotal purchases and expe...

COVID-19 - Finding help for your business

We know we are all back in a situation we didn’t want to be in and we certainly have our fingers crossed this lockdown can be as short as possible.  For us at Accounted4 we feel very fortunate to be able to continue working during lockdown. All our systems are cloud based, and it is easy for our whole team to continue working from home.  It is a great feeling to know we are here to help our clients in these trying times. For many businesses we know this lockdown creates further stres...

Payroll Update: Employment Agreement Reviews

With recent legislation changes employers are required to review and update your employment agreements for the increased Sick leave, and the Bereavement leave extension to include miscarriages and stillbirths.If you need HR assistance, please call the Accounted4 payroll team for a referral. Sick Leave entitlement increased on 24 July 2021 to 10 day The minimum sick leave entitlements increased from 5 to 10 days per year from 24 July 2021. Employees get the extra five days per year when they...

Featured Client: Liora Pine / Flourish

Originally from the US, Liora Pine is one of many intelligent and business savvy women in our Cambridge community using her personal experiences to develop and grow not one but two businesses. After University where she gained a double degree in Graphic Design and Communication and became diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Liora decided to change something in her life so she started exercising. It wasn't until her exercise routine got pushed to the side that she realised she needed he...

Accounting 101: Rental Properties and Tax FAQ’s

Do I have to return GST on rental income, and can I claim GST on any rental expenses? No. Properties used in a long-term residential rental activity are an exempt supply for GST purposes - no GST can be charged on rent income or claimed on expenses. Note that residential property used for short-term accommodation is a taxable activity for GST purposes – you will have to register for GST if your gross turnover is over $60k in any 12 month period, or you may choose to voluntarily register. Make ...

A4 Sustainability Updates

For the month of July each and every one of us made a conscious effort around the office and our homes to reduce plastic and other waste where we could. From using reusable containers for our takeaway sushi and our keep cups for takeaway coffee, as well as other small things that make a big impact, like reducing plastic wrapping.  We also held an informative "bin audit" so everyone could see what goes in our bin. It was a fantastic reminder of what can go in the compost, recycling, soft pla...

A4 In the Office

Here at A4 we love any excuse to get together, share our kai and maybe even showcase our baking skills...all whilst celebrating something special! Check out the baking skills of our girl Sara Hall - she was taught by her grandmother who was a baker. ...

Xero Tips and Tricks - Copy and edit an invoice, bill or quote

Have you ever wondered if there is a faster way to create an invoice, bill or quote in Xero? If so the answer is... there is! To be more time efficient and reduce data entry you can copy a previous invoice, bill or quote and all fields will populate with the original data you entered.   Read below and follow the steps to find out more about this Xero tip. To copy an invoice, bill or quote to a new invoice, bill or quote1. In the Business menu at the top of the screen, select ...

Get to know: Larissa

Larissa joined Accounted4 in August 2020 as an Intermediate Accountant in Martyn Steffert’s team. Larissa grew up on a dairy farm in Matamata before moving to Dunedin for four years to study. She moved back to Matamata, where she got married and had a family. Larissa and her family moved to Cambridge last year, when she started at Accounted4. Before Larissa became an Accountant she worked for 8 years as a Pharmacist but decided to change to a career that offered more opportunities and more fle...

HR Mythbusters

Blog written by LesleyAnn Thomas from People in Mind Ltd Yes! It’s the HR version of that famous television programme, Mythbusters! There are three myths in HR that we regularly hear clients and professional advisors talk about, and we seriously need to bust them! Myth #1 – Trial periods don’t exist anymore  Fact - They do!Some employers and business advisors think trial periods don’t exist, but this simply isn’t the case.  There are still provisions in the legislation f...