Offshore Enquiry

We could write a small book on New Zealand for you however we are sure you would rather have a one page introduction.

New Zealand is English speaking and many of its traditions are taken from the fact it was a former colony of England. The court system and our laws originated from the English system although they have been adapted to local requirements.

The majority of the population has traditionally been European and New Zealand Maori although in the last few decades there has been a substantial increase in immigration from the Pacific Islands and Asia.

Major economic reforms in the 1980s opened New Zealand to foreign investment and there are very few regulatory controls. Money can be moved in and out of New Zealand and foreign nationals can own land and businesses, although there are restrictions on the area of land that can be purchased. There are also some controls on purchases of very large businesses.

The personal tax rate varies according to income levels, and current government policy, and should be checked on the Inland Revenue website below.

New Zealand operates a GST tax (Goods & Services Tax which is similar to the English VAT). This rate is currently 12.5% on all goods and services (the only exception being residential property and financial services). Tax information can be obtained from the IRD website www.ird.govt.nz.

New Zealand lawyers operate in a similar way to most other parts of the world. Every lawyer starts by obtaining a university law degree and then after passing professional examinations is qualified to practise as a lawyer. All lawyers operate under the Law Practitioners Act which sets the rules for legal practice. The New Zealand Law Society that governs lawyers in New Zealand has its own website www.nz-lawsoc.org.nz.

While visitors are always welcome, permanent immigration to New Zealand is controlled and it is necessary to apply for permanent residency status. The application can be made either in New Zealand or at New Zealand's overseas diplomatic offices. The immigration criteria is contained on the government immigration service website www.immigration.govt.nz.

For immigration or overseas investment enquiries, you should contact our director, Richard Ayton.