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Which business expenses can you claim against tax?

Incurring expenses is an unavoidable fact of running a business. But which expenses can you claim tax deductions against and which don’t meet the tax-free criteria?Here’s our lowdown on which expenses you can claim against tax.Which business expenses can you claim deductions against?If your business expense is directly related to earning your assessable income then you should be able to claim a tax deduction against this particular cost.For example, everyday business expenses that you may be...

Holiday cash flow for your small business

Are you heading away for a break from the business this year?This time of year can be hard on small business. Your expenses continue and your cashflow can suffer when your debtors go on holiday.Leading up to the holiday period, is your business cash flow in good health to carry you through? With a bit of pre-planning and being proactive, you can set yourself up for a financially stress-free holiday.Planning your cash-flow over the holiday periodInvoice early - Send any invoices that you can...

Exciting Changes in Our Payroll Team!

We are reaching out with some exciting news about a key member of our team, Anne Bland, who has been an integral part of the company for an incredible 19 years.On 15 January 2024, Anne will be stepping down from her role as Client Payroll Manager to move into the a new and exciting chapter as a Payroll Consultant in our A4  Payroll Team. Throughout her nearly two decades of dedicated service, Anne has played a crucial role in ensuring the smooth and accurate processing of client payroll, ea...

Get to know Elayne

Elayne grew up in the Waikato born and raised on her parents dairy farm. Having a passion for the agriculture industry she completed her 4 year degree, Bachelor of Agriculture Commerce with Professional Accounting at Lincoln University (Christchurch) in 2018.Elayne joined the A4 team in August 2022 as a junior-intermediate accountant. She has 4 weeks left of study towards her CA qualification and is looking forward to finishing before the Christmas break and adding CA to her qualification.&...

Featured Client - Informal Marketing

Welcome to Informal Marketing: Ecommerce & Marketing Specialists, based in Cambridge, we simplify success in the digital realm. We understand that marketing can be intricate, but our focus is on making it straightforward for you. With over 10 years of e-commerce expertise, we specialize in creating standout websites using Shopify, WordPress, and Magento. Not just a marketing agency, we're also wizards in photo and video production, ensuring your brand stands out both online and offline.Our s...

Featured Partner - Urban Miners

Rotary Urban Miners is a not-for-profit community enterprise established by Rotary Cambridge. Its mission is to collect e waste and divert it from landfills through either the reuse, repair, or dismantling of products for complete recycling. E waste is one of the most significant waste streams in New Zealand and we landfill nearly 100,000 tonnes of it each year. Urban Miners has been operating public collections of e waste in Cambridge and Te Awamutu for three years and we have developed an extr...

In the Community

As part of our A4 Christmas traditions, of many years now, Geoff and Chris presented a donation of $1000 to the Cambridge Christmas Cheer.This donation by Accounted4 is in lieu of client gifts and goes towards providing Christmas food for members of the Cambridge community who need it most.Geoff Hurst, Director (3rd from right) and Christine Stevenson, Business Manager (2nd from right) present representatives of the Cambridge Christmas Cheer Committee, Amy Watkins (far left), Annette Willis (2nd...

In the Office

We hosted a LOUD Shirt Day in the office on the 27th of October, to raise funds and support all New Zealanders who access sound with cochlear implants. ...

How to handle annual close-downs

Many New Zealand businesses temporarily close down at some point during the year, commonly over the Christmas-New Year period. With a bit of preparation and know-how, employers can handle the annual close-down seamlessly and lawfully.Here are some key considerations if you are planning to shut the business for a short time:Decide if there will be a close-down - NZ employment law allows employers to implement one close-down each year.Set the dates - close-downs usually happen over summer, but you...

A business budget will help with your financial decision making

Budgeting is about estimating your revenues, projecting your expenses and detailing the allocation of funds, so you stick to (and don’t overrun) your agreed budget ceiling.How does budgeting affect your business?Having a clear, agreed budget gives you a structured framework for your financial decision-making. It’s a practical way to control your costs, monitor performance and adapt your strategic and financial decisions to meet changing economic conditions.Using budgeting helps your business...

Plain English guide to profit and loss

Here's our Plain English guide to profit and loss and what this report reveals about your finances.What is profit and loss?Your profit and loss statement is commonly called your ‘P&L’. It’s also sometimes referred to as your income statement or statement of earnings.Your P&L is a breakdown of your company’s revenue (money coming into the company as sales and other income) and your expenditure (direct costs, overheads, expenses and other costs).As a business, you obviously want to...

Team Vacancy

Who are weAccounted4 is a successful, progressive CA Firm nestled in the heart of vibrant Cambridge. Our team of 30, including 11 Chartered Accountants, enjoy working alongside amazing clients from varying industries and assisting them to reach their business and lifestyle goals. Our clients tell us they value us for our personable approach and genuine interest and care.Our family-friendly, fun culture is driven by our team values of Authenticity, Excellence, Innovation, Energy and Solidarity. W...

How much should you pay yourself?

Being the boss means you get to make all the big decisions about your business – including how much to pay yourself in wages, salary or drawings.As the owner, you might need to underpay yourself in the early stages of building your business, so you can reinvest the profits. But your time is valuable – and you need enough money to pay the bills. So how can you find the right level of pay? It has to be enough to keep the mortgage paid, while also building a thriving business.If you’re trying...

Boost your Trade Business's online presence with Google

Google Business profiles can help potential customers find your business on Google Maps, drive leads, and showcase your services. In an article from Tradify, they provide step-by-step guidance for trade businesses on setting up a Business Profile, optimising it with smart tips, and harnessing reviews to build credibility.From improving your business's discoverability to establishing trust and charging what you're worth, Google Business has the potential to transform your online presence.Ready to...

How can small businesses compete with the big chains?

In tough economic times, small businesses can struggle. Big multinational chains often have the scale to undercut local competitors and survive even when times get tough.What can small businesses do to retain and attract customers in a competitive market?Identify your business’s advantagesThink about what your business can offer that a multinational operator cannot. For example, you might have the edge on:Local knowledgeClose relationships with customersPersonalised serviceEasier parkingSpecif...

What will a National-led government mean for your taxes?

We don’t yet know exactly how the new National-led coalition government will be formed. But we do know that National pledged to make some major changes to tax if it came into power. Here are some of the changes that could affect you:Tweaks to tax bracketsNational has proposed changes to tax brackets, designed to adjust for inflation and boost incomes:...

Payroll Update

Christmas Holidays and your team’s leaveIt’s that time of the year when we recommend you talk with your team about taking their summer holidays. 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.peopleinm...

IRD Systems Shutdown Over Labour Weekend

IRD is upgrading their operating systems over Labour weekend, which means some of their services will be unavailable.IRD will start 3pm Friday 20 October 2023 and end 8am Tuesday 24 October 2023.You will not be able to call IRD from 3pm. IRD offices close at 3.30pm and IRD online services (including our myIR and Gateway Services) will be offline from 4pm.You can still view the IRD website during this time and make payments through your bank.Changes to myIRThis update means there will be changes ...

Xero Tips & Tricks

A few handy general Xero tips and tricks that you might find useful. ...

Xerocon 2023

Xero sure know how to put on a show and throw a party and that's exactly what they did back in August for XEROCON Sydney 2023! There was a big focus on AI and well-bee-ing, you'll get that part once you see one of the photos below! A team of 8 from our office made their way across the ditch and these are a few takeaways they bought back. Prepare for the FutureAI is all around us and has been for a long time, (think Google searches, facial recognition in photos and predictive text). It is no...

In the Community

Each month we all contribute an amount to our social club for 'Casual Friday' in the office. This year it was decided to split our funds and donate to 5 deserving charities, as voted by our team.In line with one of our core values of Solidarity here at A4, both in the office and in the community, this yearly donation is so important to us as a team! This year we are proud to have donated our funds to the following charities;Cambridge Riding for the DisabledKarapiro School CampWaikato Rescue Heli...

In the Office

We are so happy to be saying 'Welcome Back' to Alex and Ruby who have now both officially returned to work from maternity leave. So nice to have your smiling faces back in the office! ...

Get to Know Raya

Raya grew up in the sunny Bay of Plenty, moving to the Waikato in 2009. She completed her Masters of Professional Accounting at the University of Waikato in 2021.Raya joined the A4 team in August 2023 as a junior-intermediate accountant and plans to continue working through her CA qualification. She is a current board member of the Waikato Community Broadcasting Charitable Trust and enjoys sharing her accounting knowledge with the team and supporting a great community organisation. Outside ...

Featured Partner - Sparkhouse

In today's fast-paced and ever-evolving work environments, it's easy to feel like you're constantly juggling multiple challenges, from shifting demands and high expectations to overwhelming workloads and complex compliance regulations. All this, while navigating open-plan offices filled with distractions, interruptions, and overflowing inboxes. It's no surprise that both employers and employees often find themselves grappling with stress, a sense of overwhelm and poor work-life balance...

FoMO or JoMO? Give your business decisions (and yourself) a chance to breathe

In reviews of buyer trends and marketing reports, the term FoMO often pops up. It stands for the fear of missing out. It’s the feeling that, whatever you’re doing, you’re missing out on something happening somewhere else, a product or experience you just must have.In your marketing campaigns, it’s your friend. Let customers and prospects know they’re in danger of missing out if they ignore this wonderful opportunity, service, product, discount, or promotion.But don’t let it drive you...