Service

Tax

Providing tailored, practical tax advice across the board

In the complex, ever-changing and often multi-jurisdictional world of tax, you need tailored and practical advice. And that’s what our national Tax team delivers.

We have go-to experts across a number of industries and specialist areas including the financial services sector, FATCA/AEOI, cross-border disputes and iwi. Our specialists are involved in high profile tax policy work, having contributed to changes to both New Zealand and international law. And we work collaboratively with domestic and international advisors, including legal and accounting firms and investment banks, to successfully deliver on some of the largest transactions.

As well as seasoned legal tax experts, our team includes individuals with international experience (including Big Four accounting firms) and in-house legal experience. 

Delivering commercially focused advice across the full spectrum of domestic and international tax issues, including:

  • significant mergers and acquisitions, including due diligence, transaction structuring and documentation
  • international transactions, including managing transfer pricing and permanent establishment risks and disputes
  • banking, insurance and funds management
  • financing and capital raising transactions
  • tax compliance services
  • helping our clients manage tax risk, including obtaining Inland Revenue binding rulings and, when needed, managing tax negotiations and disputes with Inland Revenue.

Some of our recent notable highlights include advising:

  • on the tax aspects of significant merger and acquisition deals including ANZ Bank on the sale of its New Zealand life insurance business; Shell on the sale of its New Zealand upstream oil and gas operations for $794m; and NZ Super Fund on its 41.1% stake in Fidelity Life Assurance for $100m
  • financial services businesses on tax rules applicable to banking, insurance and investments/funds management, including regulatory capital raising, wholesale debt funding, securitisation programmes, FATCA/CRS/AEOI related projects and application of the PIE rules
  • multinational groups on permanent establishment and transfer pricing-related issues arising from high value cross-border arrangements
  • on all aspects of significant tax disputes with Inland Revenue including preparing relevant dispute documents, preparing and reviewing Court documents, managing the discovery process, briefing witnesses, liaising with external counsel and appearing as counsel in High Court proceedings
  • high net worth individuals and families, including advising on the tax consequences of moving to or from New Zealand
  • clients obtaining binding rulings from Inland Revenue on complex commercial and funding transactions.
Highly recommended for tax work.Chambers Asia Pacific 2024 | Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2024