We are growing fast – and are looking for just the right accountant to join our team.

 Who we’re looking for?

We’re looking for a person who is up to speed in the industry right now.  You’ll need to have at least two years recent experience in an NZ Chartered Accounting business.  And equally important is the attitude to thrive in the unique way we operate.

If you can tick those boxes – and if you like what you see on this website, please read on.  This could be a great opportunity for you.

A partial accounting qualification – and knowledge of the Acclipse iFirm software would be a real advantage.  But  we know that we can’t have everything, so if your CV is missing either of those, it won’t necessarily be a deal killer.

Who are we?

We are new (just four years old), we are different and we are growing fast.   We are small enough to be nimble – and we are willing to take a risk to deliver better value and service to our clients.   We are a relaxed team – but highly focussed on providing fantastic value and service to our clients.  And we’re a very long way from the traditional accounting “factory”. 

We embrace innovation and change as a positive rather than avoiding it as a threat to “the way things are done around here”.  We have up-to-the-minute IT, we are marketing focussed, and are always looking for opportunities to connect our business clients with each other.

We are members of the NZ Institute of Chartered Accountants – and if you’re completing PCEI or PCEII, we have a registered mentor on the team.

The position

This is a full time position based in our CBD Whangarei office, with plenty of client contact.  Here’s what you’ll be doing:

1. Preparation of financial statements and tax returns from source documents;

2. Playing a key role in managing our relationship with clients, other professionals and the IRD.

What to do from here

Here’s how to grab hold of this opportunity:

1.  If you have at least two years recent experience as an accountant in an NZ Chartered Accounting business – and you like what you see on this website, proceed straight to step two without delay!

2.  Email your CV to goingUP@elevateCA.co.nz now.  We want to know about your CA experience, where you’re working right now, the kind of work you’re doing – and any questions you may have.  You can count on our complete confidentiality.

3.  We will move quickly.  You’ll hear from us straight away to acknowledge receipt of your CV – and to arrange interviews where applicable.

4.  Start date will be to suit – and you’ll be very busy from day one! 

Thank you for taking an interest in joining the Elevate CA team!

 

We would be honoured if our clients, professional contacts, BOF members and friends would join us at 4:00pm on 5 December for the “Elevate CA Christmas Party – 2012”.

If the idea of an accountant’s party leaves you searching for excuses like a long ago booked hair appointment, never fear – this one won’t fit the mold.

 

For your entertainment, The Nukes >>> will be performing live. 

 

The Nukes are an ukelele trio with a twist: David Parker (Rhythm Cage, The Parker Project), Ben Collier (Goldenhorse, The Magnets) and David Thiele (or Snapper as they call him on stage), pumping out contemporary originals with killer harmonies.  The Nukes have been touring New Zealand and Australia for the past two years – and have recently released their debut album “Each to their Own” – available on itunes.

 

 

  

We will be serving the signature Elevate CA cocktail on the night.  We can reveal it has generous helpings of lime, mint and satsuma in keeping with our colours – and some other rather tasty ingredients to give the event a little added zing.  Of course as responsible hosts, we will also ply you with pizza and non-alcoholic beverages. 

Christmas festivities are from 4:00pm to 6:00pm on Wednesday 5 December – here in the Elevate CA office, level four, 35 Robert Street, Whangarei.

We appreciate the massive support we have enjoyed from our clients and the business community during 2012 – and we would love to round off 2012 in style with you as our guest. 

Just e-mail Fraser (fraser@elevateCA.co.nz) before the end of Monday 3 December to RSVP – and we will look forward to seeing you there!

 

 

A:  If you’re negotiating to lease commercial premises for your business, you are now subject to an as-yet-unwritten change in tax legislation.  Read on.

Times are tough for many a commercial landlord.  Many buildings are less than 100% occupied with prospective tenants keen to drive a tough bargain before signing a lease.  Often this includes a lease inducement payment – paid by the landlord to the tenant on signing.

As it stands, commercial landlords can generally claim a tax deduction for these payments while the tenant pays no tax on the payment.  This does create an incentive for prospective tenants to push this line when negotiating to lease a building.

 

But on 26 July, the IRD released a tax policy consultation paper around cash payments made by commercial landlords to tenants.  The Government clearly plans to tax these lease inducement payments in the hands of tenants.

 

Fair enough.  Of course the Government is quite entitled to do what it needs to do to protect the revenue base.  On the one hand John Key has boldly proposed a return to surplus by the 2014 / 2015 fiscal year – but on the other hand he has ruled out tax rate increases.  So closing asymmetrical tax planning possibilities like this one is an obvious area of focus.

But this amendment is somewhat unusual.  The Revenue Minister Peter Dunne signalled that any legislation changes would be retrospective, with effect from 26 July 2012.  We have no idea of the wording of these proposed amendments as they have not yet been drafted.  They will be included in some future tax bill that could be a year or more away.  But we do know that once passed, these changes will apply to commercial lease arrangements being entered into right now.

 

Q: When can tax be a positive thing? 

A: When it encourages behaviour that makes the world a better place for us all.  In my humble opinion, that is.

Tobacco excise falls into this category – it provides a disincentive to smoking, surely saving many Kiwi lives every year.

Next question. 

Q: When is a tax particularly bad? 

A: When it actively discourages behaviour that could make the world a better place for us all.

The Road User Charges (RUC) tax regime on diesel cars falls squarely into this category.  Once again, in my humble opinion.

 

Visit Europe or the UK and rent a car, and the chances are it’ll be a super-economical diesel that goes like crazy while sipping less than 5 litres per 100km.  There’s plenty of fun to be had zipping around France or Italy in a Fiat Punto, Citroen C4 or BMW 116 diesel with a six speed manual and a throaty exhaust note.

 

But all that frugal motoring fun does give rise to one more question.

Q: Why have Kiwis not embraced this super-economical common rail diesel technology in small passenger cars?  When we buy a small car, why do we tend to choose a petrol model that burns maybe 8 litres per 100km rather than the equivalently powered turbo diesel that might consume less than 5 litres over the same distance?

A:  Owners of diesel powered cars pay RUC by the km at the Post Office counter – and the cost is the same regardless of the efficiency of the vehicle.  At today’s pump prices, a diesel hot hatch using 5 litres per 100km will cost you just $75 to drive 1,000km. But add the RUC and the cost increases to $123.  The RUC tax is the same regardless of whether you’re driving a 3,500kg truck or a Suzuki Swift DDiS, effectively counteracting the benefits of all that fantastic diesel technology that the rest of the world enjoys.  So almost no-one in New Zealand buys small diesel cars.

New Zealand must export a lot of butter, wool and logs to buy a barrel of oil.  So why do we have a tax system that actively encourages us to ignore the advances in diesel technology over the last decade which would allow us to collectively burn less imported fuel?

 

This is an easy fix, Mr Joyce.  Petrol powered cars pay excise tax at the pump so drivers of economical cars are rewarded by paying less excise tax.  Apply the same logic and charge RUC at the diesel pump rather than at the Post Office counter, so purchasers of super-economical diesel cars can genuinely enjoy the financial rewards of this technology. Hey presto, more Kiwis will buy cars of this ilk saving the country a significant amount of foreign exchange each year.  Over the years our nationwide vehicle fleet will become more economical as Kiwis will no longer be disincentivised to choose a more economical model when replacing their existing cars.  

 

Look beyond the three year electoral term, Mr Joyce.  Yes there will be a one-off cost in changing the system, but over the longer term this is a no-brainer.