Consultations listing

This interpretation statement gives guidance on whether and when a taxpayer is carrying on a “business” for income tax purposes. This is relevant to whether a person has income from a business under s CB 1 and to other provisions in the Income Tax Act 2007 where carrying on a business is a requirement.

This consultation is about the management of spiny rock lobster (kōura, crayfish) in the: Hauraki Gulf/Bay of Plenty (CRA 2) fishery, Wellington/Wairarapa (CRA 4) fishery. Fisheries New Zealand is consulting on ways to manage spiny rock lobsters to higher abundance in these areas.

This is a re-consultation of PUB00476, following on from the external consultation from 24 February 2025 to 18 April 2025. As a result of the number of submissions received on that earlier exposure draft, the additions made to the statement as a result, and particularly the increase in the number of examples, it has been decided to reconsult the item to seek further feedback/comment. This interpretation statement considers the meaning of “taxable activity” in s 6 of the Goods and Services Tax Act 1985.

This draft interpretation statement discusses the requirements that must be met for a registered person to claim a secondhand goods input tax deduction. This includes, among other things, a discussion of the requirement that the goods be secondhand and the meaning of secondhand. This interpretation statement also discusses exceptions and restrictions on the amount of secondhand goods input tax deduction that can be claimed, including where the supplier and the recipient are associated persons. The fact sheet GST – Meaning of secondhand supports the interpretation statement by summarising the meaning of secondhand. The fact sheet GST – Secondhand goods input tax deduction requirements – summary supports the interpretation statement by summarising the requirements.

This interpretation statement discusses the meaning of “payment” for GST purposes. The meaning of payment is relevant for determining the time of supply, the tax period for which you return output tax or for which you claim an input tax deduction, and eligibility for a secondhand goods input tax deduction.

This question we’ve been asked considers whether a lessee farmer, who carries on a farming business on leased land, can deduct the remaining diminished value (the tax book value) of the expenditure incurred on planting horticultural plants in the income year the lease on the farmland ends.

Under subpart DO, a purchaser of farmland with Farmland Improvements and listed horticultural plants who carries on a farming business on the land is allowed an annual amortisation-like deduction of the diminished values of the improvements and plants. The opening tax book values for the purchaser is the seller‘s tax book values for the improvements and plants at the beginning of the income year of the sale. This question we’ve been asked considers whether the purchase price allocation rules alter this treatment. It concludes that they do not.

This question we’ve been asked considers whether a major change in the nature of a contractor’s business activities occurs under the business continuity test for losses when a public private partnership project moves from a design and construction phase to an operating and maintenance phase.

Please note updated summary: This QWBA confirms that the business continuity test is not breached when a standard PPP project transitions from the design and construction phase to the operation and maintenance phase. Accordingly, a corporate PPP contractor may rely on the business continuity test to carry forward losses incurred during the design and construction phase, even if shareholder continuity is breached during that phase.

On behalf of the National Hazards Board, the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC), and the Ministry for the Environment (MfE) have developed a draft Long-term Insights Briefing on a nationally important topic: building New Zealand’s long-term resilience to hazards, such as severe weather, pandemics, volcanic activity, and earthquakes. We are now undertaking public consultation on the draft briefing. The consultation period runs from 6 August to 11.59pm on 27 August 2025. This is your opportunity to help shape our briefing and let us know what is of most importance and interest to you.