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Our Remarkable Woman

Kim - Our Remarkable Woman Kim has been part of our A4 family for 16 years and has recently been appointed the first female Director at Accounted4 alongside Martyn and David. Describing herself as a friendly, approachable, trustworthy and professional businesswoman, she is a key asset to the firm and an irreplaceable colleague who loves to have a good chat at any opportunity she can get. Her love for farming and numbers really shines through in her work with clients from farming backgrounds al...

Planning to open your business over ANZAC weekend?

Regardless of Covid-19 Alert levels, there are some essential rules that apply over on ANZAC day that affect employer obligations to their employees and the ability of shops to trade. When does Anzac Day fall this year? ANZAC Day – Sunday 25 April What are employee rights for working the upcoming public holidays? Employees don’t have to agree to work on Anzac Day, unless these conditions are met: these are days that the employee would have normally worked, and their employment contract says ...

How good is your after-sales service?

When someone has just bought from you, that’s a golden opportunity to start building a customer relationship. Take advantage of being top-of-mind and see where it can take you – and ensure you’re offering the best after-sales service to this brand-new customer.Thanking someone for a purchase is usually the start of a cadence of aftersales interactions, all of which serve to make contact with the customer, check in on their customer satisfaction levels and see if there is anything else...

The Holidays Act 2003 — reduce your risk of non-compliance

Now is an ideal time to review and ensure your payroll systems and processes are up to date and reduce your risk of non-compliance with the Holidays Act 2003 (The Act).  Employment New Zealand has free resources to help you comply with the Act. Common issues for businesses include: Strategic issues • Some sectors have systemic failure to comply with the Holiday Act and this is not acceptable.• Some employers have an incorrect ‘set and forget’ mentality to their payroll systems.�...

What does the new top tax rate mean for you?

On April 1, we move into a new financial year for most Kiwi businesses – and the new top personal tax rate comes into effect. For individuals earning over $180,000, that top chunk of income will now be taxed at 39% instead of 33%.This will only affect you if you personally earn more than $180,000 each year. It won’t make a difference if your household earns more than $180,000, but you and your partner each make less than that threshold.If you do earn over $180,000, it’s also important to n...

Get to know: Ben Calvert

Ben grew up and went to primary school in Cambridge before attending Hamilton Boys High School. He returned after 4 Years in Palmerston North at Massey University to join the Accounted4 team with a Bachelor of Business Studies degree majoring in Accounting and Finance. In December 2019 Ben finished studying towards his Chartered Accountancy Qualification.   Outside of work Ben loves spending time with friends and family, playing sports mainly squash, cricket and golf, and having a go at any...

Xero Tip: Over Payments

What to do when your client overpays an invoice and how to apply it to the next invoice....

Accounting 101: Cloud-based Vs Desktop Accounting Software

The world of technology is rapidly changing, and this includes accounting software. More and more businesses and accountants are moving away from desktop software to cloud-based systems. What is the cloud? The cloud is essentially a remote server that securely stores your data, enabling you to access this data and software online, anytime, anywhere, from any device. In a desktop application, your computer's hard drive is the central location of your data. Banklink is an example of a desktop sof...

Important employer tips for 1st April changes!

Minimum Wage IncreaseOn 1 April 2021 the minimum wage will increase to $20 per hour. This rate applies to all employees 16 years and over. The starting-out and training hourly minimum wage rates will increase to $16 per hour, remaining at 80% of the adult minimum wage.Refer here for more information. Salaried employees – check for Minimum Wage requirementsIf you have salaried employees, you need to make sure that their total remuneration meets minimum wage requirements for each individual pay ...

In the Office

We would like to welcome Sara Hall into our Accounting Team. Sara is a new graduate and is part of David Faville's team. She is bubbly and is always up for a conversation so make sure to say hi if you see her around the office! ...

Featured Partner - Cloudland

Thanks Accounted4 for choosing Cloudland as this month's featured partner! We love working with the team at Accounted4 as their trusted technology partner and look after a number of other businesses across the Waipa and Waikato regions. At Cloudland we make your business technology easy, enjoyable, secure and affordable.  Our sole purpose is to deliver extreme value to our clients through the ultimate technology workspace, backed by the best support team around. Why Cloudland?It’s a smart...

Featured Client - Elephant Ollie

The Elephant Ollie store located in the heart of Cambridge features premium-quality handcrafted products, specially-sourced from New Zealand and around the world.  We cater for children aged from newborn up to 10 years of age in toys, clothing and accessories.  At our core is our own range of products for babies, children and adults, made right here in the Waikato using materials sourced exclusively from other NZ businesses.  As a Buy NZ Made-affiliated brand, we endeavour to prom...

6 things you should know before filing your EOY tax - post COVID-19

Make sure you consider the business support and tax relief measures introduced because of COVID-19 so you can sail as smoothly as possible into the new financial year.There are some things you may not be used to thinking about when you prep for end of tax year:New rules to keep cash flowing - If money is a bit tight as the financial year draws to a close, here are four tax measures focused on providing and enabling cashflow that you might like to consider:- The tax loss carry-back rule, whi...

Xero small business sessions

As part of Xero Education month, Xero is hosting a number of informative sessions to help small business owners get a better understanding of how Xero can help power their business. These evening sessions will be in Hamilton on the 2nd of March, Auckland on the 4th of March, with Wellington and Christchurch the following week. Xero is providing two different sessions to tailor to each individual businesses level of Xero knowledge: Getting the basics rightGetting more out of Xero What to exp...

COVID-19 Support

We know these times are uncertain and daunting but as a nation, community, family and business we are strong, we are kind and we can get through it all! For up-to-date information on COVID-19 support, advice and what we are doing in the office please click here. If you have any questions or concerns please don't hesitate to contact us - remember, we are always here to help. We can and we will unite against COVID-19!...

Tenancy Laws are changing in NZ

New legislation in NZ tenancy law brings in a number of changes for landlords and tenants. Below are some of the changes:Increasing rent - From 12 August 2020, rent increases are limited to once every 12 months. This is a change from once every 180 days (six months).Required notice periods are changing - If the landlord or a family member is moving in, the notice period is 63 days notice and if the property is being sold, landlords must give 90 days.Ending periodic tenancies&...

Bring your A game (not your O game)

Success in sport is all about playing your 'A game'. Being the best you can be through preparation and training leading up to the game, as well as through your actions during and after the game - showing modesty and humility in success and graciousness in defeat. If everyone on the team plays their 'A game' the results are impressive. So, how do we apply the 'A game' mindset from sport to the workplace? Three A’s that bring it:  Appraise: work out who will make up your dream tea...

Staying afloat and thriving through a downturn

When the future looks uncertain, what can you do to prepare and strengthen your business? Recent times have certainly shown us that the future path of your business can change in an instant – usually, due to influences that are far beyond our own control. The Covid-19 pandemic and the ongoing global economic recession have both had a negative economic impact on the business world – so, when a downturn strikes, you need to be ready. The key is to be prepared, to have a ‘Plan B’ and to rea...

The Trusts Act 2019

The Trusts Act 2019 comes into force this Sunday, 30 January 2021 and it brings significant changes that trustees, settlors and anyone else involved with Trusts need to be aware of. This is the first time in over 65 years that any changes have been made to NZ’s Trust legislation. The aim of this reformed Trusts Act is; • To make Trust law more accessible and clearer to trustees and beneficiaries.• To set out the core principles of the law relating to trusts.• To strengthen the ability of...

Practice the power of acceptance this year

In a world of unpredictability and stress, our instinct brings cravings to survive, compete, and strive. But acceptance, not a comparison, is what will get us through. “There are ways to find ease in acceptance without negative inner feelings, it just takes practice,” says Nichola Stuart, Founder of the Empowerment Foundation. “Instead of sitting in the ‘uncomfortable chair’, find ways to shift your mindset and develop a sense of empowerment in your new normal.” Be your own cheerlead...

December Xero Tip

Setting up invoice reminders is key to helping you optimize your accounting processes. Instead of having the added stress of worrying about following up on your accounts receivable, let Xero take care of it. You can set up invoice reminders that will automatically send customers reminders based on how far an invoice is past its due date. See below for instructions on how to set up Invoices reminders. In the Business menu, select Invoices - you will see the Invoice Reminders button Here...

A4 In the Community

Movember is the leading charity changing the face of Men's Health worldwide. Ben Calvert, one of our CA's, took it upon himself to put on a fundraising morning tea on the 27th November, which raised a generous amount for the charity....

In the Office

On the 12th November 2020 our new Graduates joined in on the first ever online CA graduation ceremony. They celebrated with their partners and some of the A4 Team at Onyx Cambridge. Congratulations Alice, Ben, Gen, Katie and Tee on your great achievement!...

Have you got a strategy for a financially stress free holiday period?

Holiday breaks are a time to spend with family, friends & have a chance to recharge for the year ahead. But, for a business owner this time can be stressful without careful cash flow planning. Even if you do continue to operate through the holiday shutdown season, your customers' financial behavior may not remain the same.It can be pretty disappointing to work hard all year only to find that once you have paid staff, overheads and creditors, you have little or nothing left in the bank to cover y...

10 steps to achieving balance this holiday break

It's a great time to make new habits! From more sleep and exercise to reading or meditation... what will you consciously do these holidays to get balance and start 2021 in form? It's that time of year again when most of us are winding down and heading off for a well deserved break. Here's our daily top 10 things to help you maximise your holiday! Every day strive for:1 hour of exercise.2 litres of water.3 cups of tea (may be substituted for wine or beer).4 colours on the plate.5 minutes of medit...