Instant Estimate Calculator

Select all income types and investment types that apply to you. Your estimate will update instantly as you make your selections.

Income & Investment Types

Business Income

Background
? A sole trader is just you trading under your own name, the simplest structure. A company (Ltd) is a separate legal entity, which can offer liability protection. A partnership is two or more people sharing a business. A trust holds assets for beneficiaries and is often used for asset protection.
? These are the individual IR3 tax returns filed for the shareholders of the company, separate from the company tax return itself.
? Your total sales or income before any expenses are deducted. If you're not sure, pick the closest estimate; it doesn't need to be exact.
Systems and Records
? Xero and MYOB are cloud-based platforms that connect directly to your bank feeds and keep everything in one place. They make the accounting process significantly faster, which keeps costs down for you.
? Be honest here, this one matters! "Flawless" means transactions are categorised correctly and bank accounts are reconciled. "Untouched" means the software has transactions coming in but nothing has been sorted or reviewed.
? For example, did you pay for a business expense using your personal bank card or personal credit card? Those transactions won't appear in your business accounting software and need to be brought in separately.
Tax Registrations
Balance Sheet
? Count each business bank account and business credit card separately. For example, two bank accounts and one credit card = 3. Personal accounts don't count here.
? Inventory is physical stock or goods you hold for sale. If you're a service business (e.g. a consultant or tradesperson), this likely doesn't apply to you. If your revenue is under $1.3m and your stock is worth less than $10k, it's generally exempt.
? Work-in-Progress (WIP) refers to work you've done or started but haven't yet sent an invoice for. This is common in construction, legal, consulting, and trades. If you don't have any outstanding unbilled work at year end, select the first option.
? Think vehicles, machinery, computers, or other business equipment costing more than $1,000 excl. GST. Each asset needs to be depreciated over its useful life, which adds work to the annual accounts.
? Include business bank loans, hire purchase agreements, chattel mortgage, and any other financing arrangements.
Other
? We offer a discount to businesses in their first year to help get things set up right from the start. Getting your structure, software, and processes right early saves a lot of time and cost down the track.
Extras
? We can prepare and file your GST returns on your behalf. Most businesses file 2-monthly. Monthly filing is typically required for businesses with a GST refund position or high turnover.
? A budget gives you a financial target for the year ahead. A simple budget is the last few years' data rolled forward with some minor tweaks. An advanced budget is for significant changes to operations that substantially change costs and revenues.
? Management reports give you a clear picture of how your business is performing, with timely data on your profit & loss, balance sheet, and cashflow. They're delivered on a regular schedule and are ideal for business owners who want to stay on top of their numbers. Businesses with revenue between $200k and $1m typically opt for Quarterly Reporting, businesses with revenue of $1m to $5m typically opt for Bi-Monthly Reporting, and businesses with over $5m typically opt for Monthly Reporting.

Residential Rental

? Count each residential rental property separately, regardless of how many units are in each building.
? A property manager handles rent collection, tenant communication, and maintenance on your behalf, and provides a clear annual summary which makes the accounting much simpler. Self-managed properties require more work to compile the income and expense records.
? How is the property title held? Check your mortgage documents or the property title if you're unsure. A combination structure (e.g. one property held personally and another in a trust) adds complexity and requires separate returns for each entity.

Commercial Rental

? Count each commercial lease separately. Commercial properties (offices, retail, industrial, etc.) typically have more complex lease structures and insurance arrangements than residential rentals.
? How is the property title held? Check your mortgage documents or the property title if you're unsure. Different ownership structures have different tax and compliance implications.
? The total rental income received from all commercial properties before any deductions. Exclude GST from the figure if you're GST-registered.
? If you have an insurance contract that is over $12k excl. GST, a prepayment adjustment is required.
? Some commercial property loans require regular financial reports to be prepared and sent to the lender, separate to the annual accounts. This is common with larger commercial mortgages. Check your loan agreement if you're unsure.
? Commercial rental income is generally subject to GST (unlike residential rentals, which are exempt). If you're GST-registered for your commercial property, we can prepare and file your returns on your behalf.

Overseas Shares, Stocks, & Funds

? New Zealand residents are taxed on overseas shares and funds under the Foreign Investment Fund (FIF) rules. However, if the total amount you paid to buy your overseas investments was $50,000 NZD or less, a simpler "de minimis" calculation method applies. This is based on your original purchase price (cost), not the current value.
? How are the investments held? Most individual investors hold shares and funds in their own name or jointly with a partner. If held in a trust or company, additional returns may be required.
? Platforms like Forsyth Barr and InvestNow produce an annual NZ tax summary report, which makes calculating your tax liability much simpler. If your provider doesn't produce one, we need to calculate everything manually from your transaction history.

New Zealand Shares & Funds

? If your provider holds your IRD number, they report that information to IRD, so we can collect a summary directly from IRD.

Bonds, Notes, & Term Deposits

? If your provider holds your IRD number, they report that information to IRD, so we can collect a summary directly from IRD. If they don't, then they withhold tax at the higher non-declaration rate, so we need to correct IRD's records.
? When you sell a bond or note before it matures, a special tax calculation called a Base Price Adjustment is required. This adds complexity to the return. Fixed interest investments that are held to maturity don't need this calculation.

Precious Metals

? Each time you sold gold, silver, platinum, or other precious metals counts as one transaction. This includes sales through platforms like New Zealand Bullion, ABC Bullion, or any private sale.
? To calculate whether a sale is taxable (and at what amount), we need to know what you originally paid. If you don't have purchase receipts or records, reconstructing cost price from historical data is complex and time-consuming.

Cryptocurrency

? Count each exchange (e.g. Binance, Coinbase, Easy Crypto) and each hardware or software wallet (e.g. Ledger, MetaMask) as a separate platform. Each one needs transaction history exported and reconciled.
? Minor = a handful of transactions (e.g. a few buys and sells). Moderate = regular activity throughout the year. Large = frequent trading, swapping between coins, or DeFi activity. Using crypto to buy goods and services also counts as a disposal.
? Mining means earning crypto as a reward for validating blockchain transactions (e.g. proof-of-work). Staking is similar but uses proof-of-stake. Both are treated as taxable income in NZ at the time the crypto is received, based on its NZD value.

Estimated Monthly Fee

$0 + GST

Pricing is subject to change. Estimates are indicative only, based on the information provided, and are only valid if they're locked in using the form below. Final pricing is subject to confirmation and may vary depending on business complexity, the quality of your current data entry, and the completeness of your records. Software subscription costs are not included but can be found here: Xero pricing and MYOB pricing.

Lock In Your Estimate

To lock in your estimate for 30 days, please complete this form. A member of the team will review your estimate and reach out within 3 - 5 working days to confirm the details and answer any questions.
There is no obligation to proceed with our services after submitting this form.

For support with the tool, or to report a bug or error, please contact [email protected].

Estimates created by this tool are not guaranteed quotes. They are an estimate calculated based on the information inputs. If information inputs are missing, incomplete, inaccurate, or incorrect, then the tool will output an inaccurate estimate.

This tool is provided for general guidance only and does not constitute professional advice. Step Ahead Accounting Limited accepts no liability for any actions taken based on its use.