New Zealand editionFor Kiwi business owners · October 2026Free to read

The money questions that come first

Have the tax money ready before Inland Revenue asks.

A magazine for New Zealand owners on GST, provisional tax, cash flow, pricing and the true cost of staff, with free planning tools and a lending team behind it for the moments a sound plan needs funding.

Plan my tax set-aside → See if you qualify

No credit check to ask · your enquiry isn't sold on · a person calls you back

Promise one

No credit check to ask

Finding out what's possible leaves your credit file untouched. A check is only discussed if you decide to apply.

Promise two

Not shopped around

Your enquiry isn't fired off to a queue of lenders or sold as a lead. One team handles it, start to finish.

Promise three

A person, not a portal

Someone who knows how NZ businesses run reads what you wrote and rings you. Honest answers on the form make that first call count.

The 60-second tax check

What should go into the tax account this week?

Three numbers give you a weekly figure for GST and provisional tax on the standard option. The full planner adds your GST cycle, seasonality, every upcoming IRD date and your cash runway.

Net GST at 15% of sales less GST-claimable costs
Standard provisional tax: last year's tax plus 5%
Runs in your browser; nothing is saved or sent

The money year at a glance

The full calendar →

For a 31 March balance date, two-monthly GST and the standard provisional tax option. Weekend dates move to the next working day.

20thEvery monthPAYE, KiwiSaver and other employer deductions (small employers)
28thAfter each GST periodGST return and payment, with two exceptions
15JanuaryGST for the period ending November, plus provisional tax instalment 2
7FebruaryTerminal tax for last year (7 April with a tax agent's extension)
1AprilNew tax year, new minimum wage rates, KiwiSaver changes when scheduled
7MayGST for the period ending March, plus provisional tax instalment 3
28AugustProvisional tax instalment 1 (standard and estimation, 31 March balance date)
28OctoberSix-monthly GST filers: GST plus provisional tax

The desks

All features →

The cash flow desk

Cash flow

Why the bank balance and the profit figure disagree, how Kiwi payment terms shape your month, and how to keep enough on hand for the lean weeks.

Cash flow vs profit: why a profitable business can still run short Why a profitable New Zealand business can still run out of cash: debtors, stock, GST, provisional tax and loan repayments, with a worked example and fixes.

Everything on the cash flow desk →

The pricing desk

Pricing

Charge-out rates, GST-inclusive quoting, margin versus markup and the April cost reset: how to set prices that actually carry the business.

How to work out a charge-out rate that actually covers the business Build a New Zealand charge-out rate from the ground up: wages, KiwiSaver, ACC, holiday pay, billable hours, overheads and margin, with a worked example.

Everything on the pricing desk →

The tax desk

GST & tax

GST periods, the four provisional tax options, terminal tax, use-of-money interest and ACC levies, written so the cash is ready before Inland Revenue asks for it.

GST filing frequency: which cycle suits your cash flow? Monthly, two-monthly or six-monthly GST in New Zealand: who can use each, the due dates, and how your choice changes the size and timing of every bill.

Everything on the gst & tax desk →

The staff and growth desk

Staff & growth

What an employee really costs once KiwiSaver, ACC and holidays are counted, how PAYE runs, and the numbers behind buying a business or a growth plan.

The true cost of an employee in New Zealand What an employee really costs a New Zealand business: wages, KiwiSaver, ESCT, ACC, holidays, sick leave, equipment and recruitment, with a worked example.

Everything on the staff & growth desk →

A note from the editor's desk

Most funding conversations begin as tax conversations.

Nobody in Hamilton or Hokitika sets out to borrow money. They set out to work out why the account looks thin two weeks before 15 January, whether the bigger contract will strangle cash flow, how much to charge after April's wage changes, or why year two brought a tax bill that seemed to cover two years at once.

This edition exists for those questions. We answer them properly, with Inland Revenue's dates and rules, the arithmetic laid out and every example clearly marked as illustrative, so you can make the decision yourself.

When the numbers say a sound plan needs capital, the lending team is right here. Asking costs your credit file nothing. Your enquiry isn't passed down a line of lenders. A real person reads it and calls. Give us accurate answers on the form and that first call can usually tell you what's realistic.

— The Business of Money editorial team, New Zealand edition

Five myths, corrected

If the business made a profit, the cash must be there.
Debtors on 20th-of-the-month terms, stock on the shelf, loan principal and lumpy tax dates can empty the account of a business that's doing well.
No provisional tax in year one means no tax in year one.
The tax is still building. It usually arrives the following February, just as provisional tax for year two begins.
The GST account is a handy buffer.
It's Inland Revenue's money with a due date attached. Borrowing from it is how a tight month turns into an IRD debt.
A 45-cent wage rise is a 45-cent cost.
Holiday pay, KiwiSaver and ACC follow wages up, and so do the rates of staff paid just above the minimum.
Asking about finance will mark my credit file.
Not with us. There's no credit check when you first enquire; one is only discussed if you decide to go ahead.

How it works

From the numbers to the money in three steps

One
Know the figure
Read the desk that matches your question, then run the set-aside planner or the price-rise calculator. Arriving with a number and a date makes everything faster.
Two
Send a one-minute enquiry
The amount, the reason, your turnover, your region and any property you own. No credit check happens, and your details stay with our team.
Three
Talk to a person
Someone on our New Zealand team reads it and rings you to talk through what's realistic, which structure suits and what would be needed.

Unsecured and cash flow: $5,000 – $500,000
Secured on property: $20,000 – $5,000,000
Credit history: Case by case
Purpose: Business only

Start my one-minute enquiry →The full process

Features

Every feature →

Calendar on a desk for planning the year

Tax calendar

The New Zealand business money calendar: every date that moves your cash

GST, provisional tax, PAYE, terminal tax and the April cost reset, laid out month by month so nothing arrives as a surprise.

Read the feature →

Workers sorting produce on a packing line

Staff & pay

Why Growth Eats Cash: Funding a Growing NZ Business

Reader questions

All FAQs →

What is The Business of Money NZ edition?

A New Zealand magazine about the money side of running a business: cash flow, pricing, GST, provisional tax, employing staff, buying a business and growth. It's free to read, comes with free planning tools, and has a lending team behind it for owners whose plans need funding.

Is it the same as the Australian edition?

Same masthead and editorial approach, entirely separate content. Everything here is written for New Zealand: Inland Revenue, GST at 15%, provisional tax, PAYE, KiwiSaver and ACC. The Australian edition covers Australian businesses.

Are the planner and calculator free?

Yes. The GST & provisional tax set-aside planner and the price-rise calculator run in your browser, and nothing you type is stored or sent.

Does The Business of Money lend to New Zealand businesses?

Yes. Our lending team considers trading businesses for unsecured and cash-flow options typically from $5,000 to $500,000, and property-secured business loans from $20,000 to $5,000,000 using first mortgages, second mortgages or caveat-style security over residential or commercial property.

Will an enquiry affect my credit score?

No. There's no credit check when you first enquire. It only comes up if you decide to go ahead with an application.

Will my details go to a list of lenders?

No. We don't sell or broadcast enquiries. One team looks after yours and a real person calls you.

Why don't you publish interest rates?

Because every facility is priced on the business itself: amount, term, security, trading history and purpose. A headline rate would mislead most readers, so you get a real answer after a real conversation.

Can you help if we're behind with IRD?

Often. IRD debt and past credit problems are considered case by case. Mention them honestly on the form; it helps us point you to a realistic option first time.

Tax dates covered and a plan on the table?

Tell us what the business needs and what it's for. About a minute, no credit check to ask, and a person on our New Zealand team who reads it properly.

See if you qualify → Call 03 667 4222