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COVID-19 novel coronavirus - Business Continuity Package

The New Zealand Government announced a Business Continuity Package to assist businesses struggling due to the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak.

There are five proposals related to tax

  • Giving Inland Revenue the discretion to remit use-of-money interest (UOMI) for customers significantly adversely affected by COVID-19.
  •  Increasing the provisional tax threshold from $2,500 to $5,000 from 2020/2021.
  •  Increasing the small asset depreciation threshold from $500 to $1,000 – and to $5,000 for the 2020/21 tax year.
  • Allowing depreciation on commercial and industrial buildings from 2020/2021.
  •  Removing the hours test from the In-Work Tax Credit (IWTC) from 1 July 2020.

To support businesses and individuals impacted by COVID-19, the Government is proposing to give Inland Revenue the discretion to write-off use of money interest (UOMI) on payments due on or after 14 February 2020 if a taxpayer’s ability to make a tax payment on time has been significantly adversely affected by the COVID-19 outbreak.

Under the current proposal, UOMI could be remitted for a maximum of two years past the date of enactment, but the actual length will depend on the circumstances of each business or individual.

Source: www.ird.govt.nz