Note: All news content is archived by year and accessed using the links below. Some older content may not be available - a general rule is the older the link, the less likely it is to be there. To search for information by topic rather than date, try our Alphabetical Site Index.

Tuesday 31st December
This article provides some tips on dealing with absent employees.

Monday 30th December
I own a small business. My employees are entitled as a condition of their employment to staff buying privileges. One of my employees has resigned and is currently working out his notice period. Can I deduct the amount owed on his staff account from his final pay? If not, how can I recover this money?

Friday 27th December
This month's IRD Payroll News.

Tuesday 24th December
'Twas the night before Christmas.

Monday 23rd December
The Wages Protection Act governs the way in which wages are paid, the making of deductions, and recovery of over payments.

Friday 20th December
A law bringing thousands of trainees under the minimum wage regime is being criticised by business for threatening the viability of apprentice training.

Thursday 19th December
The government announced this week that the threshold under which income tax refunds are automatically released to wage and salary earners who have been issued a personal tax summary is to rise from $50 to $200 for the 2002-03 and future years.

Wednesday 18th December
We take this opportunity to wish all clients a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Our help desk continues to operate throughout the holiday period 8.30am to 5.00pm Monday to Friday, public holidays excepted.

Tuesday 17th December
He's copyrighted his name, so watch out any other Kevin John Smith out there – use of your name is technically breaching his copyright notice as well.

Monday 16th December
Frequently asked questions written by the Employment Relations Service designed to help with common questions about leave issues.

Friday 13th December
Libel cases based on internet material could be mounted anywhere in the world, after a landmark judgment handed down by the Australian High Court this week.

Thursday 12th December
In this tutorial we look at annual compulsory closedowns. That is, where a business traditionally closes down for a number of weeks each year, usually over Christmas.

Wednesday 11th December
As a High Court case illustrates, it is important that company directors disclose when they contract with employees and creditors that they are doing so on behalf of a company.

Tuesday 10th December
The casual agricultural tax code CAE reputedly taxes at 22.2%. Farmers and orchardists regularly ask why the calculation in Ace Payroll differs by a few cents.

Monday 9th December
Hundreds of welfare staff took advantage of unlimited sick leave last year by each taking more than a month off work.

Friday 6th December
This new FAQ explains how to overwrite a PAYE deduction in Ace Payroll.

Thursday 5th December
A special ACC levy penalty system targeting the most unsafe employers in the country should be in place by April.

Wednesday 4th December
In this article we look at how the taxation of holiday pay is handled in Ace Payroll

Tuesday 3rd December
You can now file your GST returns online using the eGST service on the IRD website. If you're interested in filing online with eGST please read on.

Monday 2nd December
Employers can employ new staff on trial periods, as long as they specify in writing that the employee is on a trial period - now also referred to as a "probationary arrangement".

Friday 29th November
Very occasionally clients using an HP Deskjet 600 printer get the error message 'insert colour printer cartridge'.

Thursday 28th November
Britons spend more than 90 minutes a day gossiping, e-mailing friends and flirting in the office, according to a survey published Friday.

Wednesday 27th November
The holiday pay season is almost here. You may like to review our holiday pay entitlement tutorial and related links.

Tuesday 26th November
This month's IRD Payroll News.

Monday 25th November
This case demonstrates that parties need to take care when preparing employment contracts, as they will be bound by what the contract says. When interpreting contracts, the Court's are generally not interested in what the contract was meant to say.

Friday 22nd November
Confused by parental leave? To assist, we have published the Act, written a tutorial, and assembled FAQ's by the Employment Relations Service.

Thursday 21st November
The Employment Court declined a worker's application for interim reinstatement pending the outcome of her unjustified dismissal claim after work colleagues said they did not want to work with her.

Wednesday 20th November
The prescribed rate to calculate fringe benefit tax for low-interest, employment-related loans has dropped from 7.98 percent to 7.83 percent, Revenue Minister Michael Cullen announced yesterday

Tuesday 19th November
Irrespective of how much tax they pay and how many jobs they create, Australia's rich are made to feel like criminals.

Monday 18th November
A child support variation code is used if you regularly deduct child support from an employee's wages, but the amount deducted in a certain pay period is different from the usual deduction.

Friday 15th November
Inland Revenue is urging working families with children under 18 living at home, who are not currently receiving Family Assistance, to contact the department to find out if they qualify.

Thursday 14th November
Australian businesses are not optimistic about growth next year, concerned that profits and employment levels will be hurt by drought and the possibility of war with Iraq.

Wednesday 13th November
In this tutorial we look at annual compulsory closedowns. That is, where a business traditionally closes down for a number of weeks each year, usually over Christmas.

Tuesday 12th November
One in 10 employees screened for drugs and alcohol at work are testing positive - more than 90 per cent of them in high-risk or safety-critical occupations.

Monday 11th November
When I print the IRD approved IR348, the first page comes out with IR348 printed on it, but the second and subsequent pages say IR349. Why is this?

Friday 8th November
The number of non-farm businesses increased 2.69 per cent in the year to February and is now up 24 per cent from five years ago, according to Statistics New Zealand.

Thursday 7th November
Frequently asked questions written by the Employment Relations Service designed to help with common questions about leave issues.

Wednesday 6th November
The British Court of Appeal has laid down guidelines for personal injury claims arising from stress at work. The case is of interest to all employers, not least because the number of union-backed work-related stress claims has increased from 516 in 1999 to 6,428 in 2000.

Tuesday 5th November
New Zealand's Inland Revenue department announced last week that its crackdown on tax evasion within the country's cash economy is progressing well, and signalled its intention to sharpen its focus on large companies and high-net worth individuals over the coming year.

Monday 4th November
I use Ace Payroll to send wages to Deskbank, and rather than have one total for wages appear on the bank statement, I want a separate amount for each employee.

Friday 1st November
An employee was redundant before he even started work, the Employment Relations Authority recently heard.

Thursday 31st October
Proposed law changes fining employers up to $500,000 if a worker suffers stress have been watered down by a parliamentary select committee, after stiff opposition from business.

Wednesday 30th October
The government recently announced its tax policy work programme to June 2004.

Tuesday 29th October
This month's IRD Payroll News.

Friday 25th October
The holiday pay season is almost here. You may like to review our holiday pay entitlement tutorial and related links.

Thursday 24th October
ACC has spent $429,063 on private investigators tailing suspect claimants in the last four months.

Wednesday 23rd October
How is holiday pay worked out? An updated guide from the Department Of Labour.

Tuesday 22nd October
Legislation introduced in December's Taxation (Relief, Refunds and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill has been enacted. The bill recently passed through its final stages in Parliament and received Royal assent last week.

Monday 21st October
Tax collecting is in for radical change if Associate Commerce Minister John Tamihere gets his way.

Friday 18th October
One part of the American workforce is hurting badly - teenagers.

Thursday 17th October
Being flexible can save more than just part of a salary. Staff turnover is a significant drain on a business - Pohlen Kean says the cost of replacing staff can be as high as 150% of salary for a senior professional or manager.

Wednesday 16th October
This FAQ explains why the figures on your monthly IR348 Employer Monthly Schedule do not match other wage data for the month.

Tuesday 15th October
The tax department will never be loved. But it should not be detested either, not when the tax system depends on voluntary compliance.

Friday 11th October
Business, unions and the Federal Government are joining forces to change the attitude towards older workers as companies fail to heed warnings of a labour shortage.

Thursday 10th October
Last month's IRD Payroll News.

Wednesday 9th October
Trading trusts have been used in Australia for many years, and are now also becoming popular in New Zealand.

Tuesday 8th October
MP's have been hit with a bill for a year's back taxes and late payment penalties on their allowances.

Monday 7th October
An eccentric British earl who has lived in Australia for 40 years has revived the days of feudalism by demanding homeowners in an english town pay him thousands of pounds.

Friday 4th October
Resources to help keep yourself, your family & your workplace injury free from the ACC.

Thursday 3rd October
The Reserve Bank yesterday left the Official Cash Rate unchanged at 5.75 per cent.

Wednesday 2nd October
The Government has lost $315 million in three months playing global markets with public servants' pensions - money that taxpayers will have to make up.

Tuesday 1st October
An Employment Court decision involving Carter Holt Harvey has stirred up interest in the business community.

Monday 30th September
Set your clocks forward one hour next Sunday 6th October. If staff are employed during the transition, our Daylight Saving and the Time Act 1975 clarifies the situation.

Friday 27th September
The Labour Department is considering allowing employees to make gender- based equal pay claims based on comparisons with people who do the same work in different organisations.

Thursday 26th September
Britain's Inland Revenue admitted yesterday that it sold 600 of its buildings to a company based in a tax haven to cut costs, despite originally claiming the company was based in the UK.

Wednesday 25th September
The tax department has written off an extra million dollars in student loans this year as graduates choose to go bankrupt rather than pay back hefty loans, Canterbury University Students' Association president Richard Neal says.

Tuesday 24th September
An ACC levy penalty on unsafe employers is being studied by the Labour Department and ACC as a way of improving workplace health and safety.

Monday 23rd September
Microsoft says a huge project to re-architect the Australian Tax Office's computer systems and deliver more services over the Web could be easily replicated in New Zealand.

Friday 20th September
A leap in the number of New Zealanders employed by small firms points to a risk of greater turbulence at work, say Labour Department ministerial briefing papers.

Thursday 19th September
The IRD is moving closer to public password access to its website ahead of a crucial State Services Commission report on the topic.

Wednesday 18th September
When an employee simply does not turn up and it is repetitive, it is important not to lose your cool and to dismiss the employee. You must be fair at all times.

Tuesday 17th September
I have accidentally filed a pay for an employee and it is showing on my reports. How do I delete it?

Monday 16th September
My company has been asking people to take all their leave in the year in which it is due to be taken, and doesn't want us to carry any of it over. I don't think this is fair, and it isn't flexible. What can I do about it? Does the Holidays Act allow this sort of thing?

Sunday 15th September
LONDON, (Reuters) - E-mail and Internet abuse, including the downloading of pornography, has overtaken theft of office supplies and lying to the boss as the top disciplinary action reported in the workplace, a new study said.

Friday 13th September
Are your workers employees or independent contractors? The time has come to revisit this question and perhaps re-document your agreements.

Thursday 12th September
There is no legal obligation to pay an employee for time on jury service. However, some employers see this as part of their social or community obligations.

Wednesday 11th September
The Government says allowing businesses to manage their tax affairs over the internet will cut costs, but not everyone is convinced.

Tuesday 10th September
Income tax, the biggest source of government funds today, is a relatively recent invention, probably because the notion of annual income is itself a modern concept.

Monday 9th September
One in four of the 80,000 callers to the Inland Revenue Department each week is given the wrong information by its call centre staff.

Friday 6th September
People who are bullied at work are 50 percent more likely to miss work from doctor-certified illnesses than those who are not bullied.

Thursday 5th September
Revenue Minister Michael Cullen last week released Inland Revenue's briefing to the incoming government.

Wednesday 4th September
The Labour Department's latest skill shortages report - for the three months to the end of June - says businesses are finding it more and more difficult to get skilled staff.

Tuesday 3rd September
Sometimes the IRD asks you to deduct tax at a rate which is not a whole number, plus the earner premium. An example of this is a request to deduct tax at 22.5%, as asked of one of our clients recently. When the IRD does this, they have made a mistake.

Monday 2nd September
Latest Hazard Alert from OSH - "Bird droppings, from large populations of roosting birds, may present a risk of disease to people. This alert provides advice on the precautions to take when cleaning up and disposing of bird droppings."

Friday 30th August
What is the correct way to show ACC payments on the IR348 Employer Monthly Schedule?

Thursday 29th August
This month's IRD Payroll News.

Wednesday 28th August
In the Employment Court, Judge Graeme Colgan found Harvey Norman's relationship with Dean Curlew was not that of employee but contractor, and rejected his claim of unjustified dismissal.

Tuesday 27th August
Finance Minister Michael Cullen said he wanted to send officials, particularly in Commerce and Inland Revenue, to do the compliance work for small businesses "so they can see what it is like from the other side of the equation"

Monday 26th August
The children of a woman crushed to death while cleaning a revolving door at a meat works will receive all of a $30,000 fine the company was ordered to pay.

Friday 23rd August
Inland Revenue has begun a legal battle over $226 million in income tax, in what may be the second biggest "tax avoidance arrangement in New Zealand", according to a High Court ruling.

Thursday 22nd August
We've had access to compensation for work related injuries since the early 1900's, with the Workers Compensation Act.

Wednesday 21st August
The interest rate used to calculate fringe benefit tax for low-interest, employment-related loans is to increase to 7.98% from 1 October 2002. The increase was approved by Order in Council this week.

Tuesday 20th August
This table shows the estimated number of people and their incomes and tax in taxable income bands for the 2002/2003 financial year.

Monday 19th August
Solomon's choice : encourage growth or increase tax revenue. Can we do both at the same time? Does one stimulate the other?

Friday 16th August
The Australian Tax Office has been given 10 weeks to dramatically change its administration of the tax system or face a deluge of manually-lodged tax returns from Accountants rather than the more convenient electronically filed returns.

Thursday 15th August
The Reserve Bank yesterday left the Official Cash Rate unchanged at 5.75 per cent.

Wednesday 14th August
June unemployment figures show the labour market is still tight - and job advertising levels suggest it will stay that way.

Monday 12th August
The Government has been sitting for 22 months on a confidential report that shows MP's should be paying more tax.

Friday 9th August
As its people grow greyer, Europe's state pensions systems will go deeper into the red. Germany and Italy are trying to push the private sector alternative. It isn't easy.

Thursday 8th August
What protection do I have if an employee leaves and starts up in competition? Alison Gray of the Chapman Tripp Employment Law Team replies.

Wednesday 7th August
The latest workplace fatality figures released by the Department of Labour's Occupational Safety and Health Service suggest that this supposedly independent government department is being used as a political tool.

Tuesday 6th August
Income from dealing in illicit drugs, prostitution, money laundering, other criminal activities and cash jobs falls into the category of income that counts but cannot be counted for tax purposes.

Monday 5th August
What is a company and do I need one? How do I register a company on the Internet? How do I keep company books and records?

Friday 2nd August
"If we don't get more growth in New Zealand, we are stuffed" was the stark message from former Reserve Bank Governer and newly elected MP Don Brash.

Thursday 1st August
A change in approach in dealing with misconduct discovered after dismissal may greatly benefit employers.

Wednesday 31st July
Argentina's experience with pensions offers a sobering lesson. Four years of recession and its worst financial crisis in history have brought Argentina, once the world's sixth richest country, to its knees.

Tuesday 30th July
Interesting facts and figures about Student Loans from Inland Revenue covering the period 1 April 2002 to 30 June 2002.

Monday 29th July
This months IRD Payroll News.

Sunday 28th July
Earnings Certificates provide your employees with a record of their earnings, tax payments and deductions for the financial year selected.

Friday 26th July
Corporate disgrace hasn't cramped the high rolling lifestyle of Tyco's ex-CEO L. Dennis Kozlowski.

Thursday 25th July
A man who was once Australia's second most powerful tax official will face court over charges he promoted tax minimisation schemes and then ensured they received favourable outcomes.

Wednesday 24th July
Inland Revenue wishes to remind dairy farmers who look likely to receive a smaller payout this year to make provisions now to meet their tax obligations for the 2002-2003 season.

Tuesday 23rd July
An estimated $7.5 million in wages and salaries has been lost in the year to March, representing 41 work stoppages, a 70% increase on the previous year.

Monday 22nd July
A general election will be held in New Zealand on Saturday July 27, 2002. Here are some relevant links.

Friday 19th July
If that means going out and walking around the shop floor on a daily basis, that is what you will have to do. You will be regarded as the Hitler of your organisation but that is what is required of you.

Thursday 18th July
Compliance costs have increased markedly under the Labour-Alliance Government as far as Auckland businesses are concerned.

Wednesday 17th July
So a logical deduction from this Government's first term is that it will increase taxes in it's second term,too.

Tuesday 16th July
Foreign students in New Zealand will number 350,000 - almost one-tenth of the total population - by 2010 if the influx continues at its existing rate, according to Education NZ estimates.

Monday 15th July
Fraudsters dismissals were justified even though the fraud occurred prior to employment, the Employment Relations Authority has held.

Thursday 11th July
Individuals who don't feel guilty engaging in one type of fraud, may well be incapable of engaging in others.

Wednesday 10th July
On 19 September 2001 the Federal Minister for Aged Care the Honourable Bronwyn Bishop MP launched the National Public Toilet Map. The National Public Toilet Map identifies the location of more than 13000 public toilet facilities in Australian towns and cities, including rural areas, and along major travel routes. Useful information is provided about each toilet, such as opening hours and access for people with a disability.

Tuesday 9th July
Had businesses charged the IRD $150 an hour to collect taxes, the invoice from the private sector would have been $1.5 billion.

Monday 8th July
Tax has emerged as an election issue. The major parties, except the Greens, agree New Zealand must grow at 4 per cent plus to rejoin the First World.

Friday 5th July
The maximum tax rebate for donations to charities is to increase from $500 to $630 and the corporate tax deduction will be extended to include close companies listed on the stock exchange.

Thursday 4th July
The Reserve Bank announces an increase in the Official Cash Rate from 5.5 per cent to 5.75 per cent.

Wednesday 3rd July
But in the eyes of the law, a miraculous transformation occurs the minute they cease to be employees and become business proprietors. Clark Kent turns into Superman.

Tuesday 2nd July
Links added to USB Ports and Printing resources.

Monday 1st July
The Paid Parental Leave scheme is now law and is administered by the Department of Labour.

Friday 28th June
Tech-sector companies making sizable payments to associates overseas are coming under increasing scrutiny from the Inland Revenue Department.

Thursday 27th June
An internet-based Land Transport Safety Authority service called Driver Check allows companies to check on the status of employees' driver licences, and automatically advises when an employee's licence status changes.

Wednesday 26th June
This months IRD Payroll News.

Tuesday 25th June
It is strongly recommended you check your payments to ACC. You could easily have overpaid.

Monday 24th June
Inland Revenue's annual mail out of Personal Tax Summaries is well underway, with 213,946 sent out so far and 125,026 to be sent out by the end of June.

Friday 21st June
A Wellington man's dismissal for having pornography on his work computer was unjustified, the Employment Relations Authority has held.

Thursday 20th June
The deemed rate of return for foreign investment fund interests has increased to 10.46% for the 2001-02 income year, and the interest rate used to calculate fringe benefit tax for low-interest, job-related loans increases to 7.5% from 1 July 2002.

Wednesday 19th June
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Monday the Internal Revenue Service may use aggregate estimates to calculate taxes that thousands of restaurants or other businesses owe from billions of dollars in customer tips each year.

Tuesday 18th June
In this three-part series, Martin Hawes explains tax auditing and provides tips on making it through the process unscathed.

Monday 17th June
Australia has the highest growth rate of disability pensioners among developed countries, and 850,000 children are living in 435,000 families with no adult working.

Friday 14th June
A woman who was sacked for nipping out nine minutes early to buy a birthday cake for a 90-year-old Napier rest home resident has won her battle with her former employers.

Thursday 13th June
The working party set up last year to look at the proposed registration, reporting and monitoring system for charities claiming tax-free status has presented its second report to the government.

Wednesday 12th June
If your printed IR348 Employers Monthly Schedule as produced by Ace Payroll is returned by the IRD as unsuitable, there are only three possible causes.

Tuesday 11th June
The Inland Revenue Department is facing potential costs of tens of millions of dollars after a High Court decision limited its right to GST payments.

Monday 10th June
The Accident Compensation Corporation is re-evaluating the way it calculates employers' premiums after a single accident led to a substantial levy increase for hundreds of employers.

Friday 7th June
Many office romances end in tears. But huge numbers end up as sexual harassment claims. Lee Glendinning reports.

Thursday 6th June
The Costa Rican Tax Administration is offering a five per cent discount to those who pay their taxes electronically.

Wednesday 5th June
Drop in on a meeting of manufacturers and you will quickly get a chorus of "We can't find people with the skills" Who is to blame?

Tuesday 4th June
Sex in a work toilet cost an Auckland man his job, the Employment Court recently heard.

Monday 3rd June
The Internal Revenue Service is tweaking the technology in its Web pages so that people surfing the Web to research ways of avoiding taxes will turn up the agency's fraud pages instead.

Friday 31st May
The UK Inland Revenue suspends its online tax filing system after a possible security lapse.

Thursday 30th May
A new tax regulator will be given sweeping powers to investigate the activities of the Australian Taxation Office, including the administration of public and private rulings, financial penalties and audit guidelines.

Wednesday 29th May
The government is introducing a law change to exempt crews of visiting superyachts from New Zealand income tax, America's Cup Minister Trevor Mallard has announced. Once enacted, the change will be effective from yesterday.

Monday 27th May
Inland Revenue is working with representatives from the Electrical industry and Painters and Decorators industry to remove barriers to voluntary compliance.

Friday 24th May
Budget 2002 - New Zealand Government

Thursday 23rd May
Some clients of Ace Payroll and BNZ recently received a letter from the BNZ requesting they change the batch number that appears on the disk they take to the bank. This FAQ documents how to change the batch number in Ace Payroll.

Wednesday 22nd May
It would be a strange conflict for directors of a failed company to have imposed on them a presumptive absolute liability in circumstances where the owners of the capital invested can shelter behind the shield of legal limited liability.

Tuesday 21st May
A Christchurch halal meat inspector who was fired for living with an unmarried woman says he was unfairly treated by his former employer.

Monday 20th May
Under the table cash deals by tradesmen and other contractors evading tax come under the spotlight from today when the Inland Revenue Department begins a new programme targeting the black economy.

Wednesday 15th May
The Reserve Bank today increased the Official Cash Rate from 5.25 per cent to 5.5 per cent.

Tuesday 14th May
A bill introduced into Parliament today proposes a major reform of the taxation of organisations that manage communally owned Maori assets. It also proposes changes resulting from the 1999 inquiry into the powers and operations of Inland Revenue, including measures that take into account "good behaviour" on the part of taxpayers. Other measures include a new penalty on promoters of certain tax "arrangements", and changes relating to charities, tax simplification and GST.

Monday 13th May
NASA needs parts no-one makes anymore. So to keep the shuttles flying, the space agency has begun trolling the Internet - including Yahoo and eBay

Thursday 9th May
More on the legality of secret video cameras.

Tuesday 7th May
This months IRD Payroll News.

Friday 3rd May
Employee theft is commonplace but most employers prefer to settle out of court.

Thursday 2nd May
The User Definable Employee Data Field allows you to set up and name a field, then use it to record whatever item of employee information you want.

Wednesday 1st May
A secret witnesses' evidence led to a worker being dismissed, the Employment Relations Authority recently heard.

Tuesday 30th April
The Government is to reduce and in some cases eliminate tax on organisations managing Maori assets held in communal ownership.

Monday 29th April
The Department of Labour has updated the Parental Leave section of their website, with the addition of an entitlement calculator, frequently asked questions, and sample employee letters and employer response forms.

Friday 26th April
How to search for an employee on the Ace Payroll employee index.

Thursday 25th April
ANZAC Day is held on this day each year to commemorate New Zealanders killed in war and to honour returned servicemen and women. We will remember them.

Wednesday 24th April
A recent Employment Tribunal case illustrates the danger to employers of not making it clear to prospective employees when and how an offer of employment will be made.

Tuesday 23rd April
The IRD has published on their website a browsable "Guide to tax consequences of trading over the internet".

Monday 22nd April
Let's put tax cuts in terms everyone can understand. Suppose that every day 10 men go for dinner. The bill for all ten comes to $100

Friday 19th April
The casual agricultural tax code CAE reputedly taxes at 22.2%. Farmers and orchardists regularly ask why the calculation in Ace Payroll differs by a few cents.

Thursday 18th April
An email attack on his employer cost a Northland man his $30,000 redundancy payment, the Employment Court recently heard.

Wednesday 17th April
This months IRD Payroll News.

Tuesday 16th April
One of the overwhelming features of business development over the past five years is the reduction in the typical size of businesses.

Monday 15th April
This new FAQ explains how to overwrite a PAYE deduction in Ace Payroll.

Friday 12th April
How should a responsible employer handle inappropriate uses of technology at work?

Thursday 11th April
People a few days late paying their tax will not be hit as hard by the Inland Revenue Department in future.

Wednesday 10th April
The insurance industry says thousands of workers will be disadvantaged by the Government's planned ban on employers insuring against health and safety law penalties.

Tuesday 9th April
A child support variation code is used if you regularly deduct child support from an employee's wages, but the amount deducted in a certain pay period is different from the usual deduction.

Monday 8th April
Under the Employment Relations Act, all employment agreements are required to be in writing, but an oral agreement is still valid, the Employment Relations Authority has ruled.

Friday 5th April
Update 3.50pm The problem with ir-file is resolved and ir-file is working reliably. The IRD advise that if you decided earlier today to pay your PAYE but send the file on Monday it will be accepted without penalty.

Friday 5th April
Update 12.52pm The IRD has posted information on their own website regarding problems they are having. (Since removed)

Friday 5th April
Update 11.11am The problem clients are having with a "Cannot create a .tmp file" message in ir-file is not resolved - IRD confirm there is a problem, and are working on it. The IRD advise to ensure you make the payment today, and try again later to send the ir-file - if all else fails, send it on Monday, but do make the payment today.

Friday 5th April
Update 10.47am People who are trying to send their ir-file from the IRD website are likely to get a "Cannot create a .tmp file" message, or similar. There is a problem with ir-file this morning which the IRD are currently looking into. The problem seems to be confined to ir-file itself - do not change any settings in Ace Payroll. As soon as we have more information from the IRD about what is happening, we will post it here. Our advice for now is to try and resend the ir-file later in the day.

Friday 5th April
10.32am The IRD has acknowledged that the problems being experienced with IR File are with the IRD system. There are no problems with Ace Payroll. Do not adjust anything in Ace Payroll or on your computer. Details will be updated when available.

Thursday 4th April
At the start of each financial year Ace Payroll receives a number of calls from clients unsure whether the tax is correctly calculated by the program. Here is a simple checklist.

Wednesday 3rd April
Creditors in collapsed companies could be pushed down the payout pecking order behind the Inland Revenue Department under new laws taking effect on May 1.

Tuesday 2nd April
A Human Rights Review Tribunal decision creates a hazard for employers hiring part-timers of child-bearing age, writes Warren Berryman

Thursday 28th March
Earnings Certificates provide your employees with a record of their earnings, tax payments and deductions for the financial year selected

Wednesday 27th March
This months IRD Payroll News

Tuesday 26th March
The Employment Relations Act requires all employment agreements to be in writing, and prescribes minimum content. Employers may be severely penalised for breaching the Act. Here are some common problems

Monday 25th March
How you can be sure that Ace Payroll is fully IRD compliant

Friday 22nd March
You might think you are working from home. But the taxman could have other ideas - even if your house is the registered office of your company

Thursday 21st March
Used correctly, the trust is a versatile structure capable of delivering both asset protection and significant income tax and estate planning advantages.

Wednesday 20th March
Ace Payroll releases an upgrade each year, and we are often asked when is the best time to install the upgrade.

Tuesday 19th March
The government will legislate this year to simplify the tax requirements for fees paid to school board trustees, Revenue Minister Michael Cullen announced last week.

Monday 18th March
The adult minimum wage increases to $8.00 an hour and the youth rate to $6.40 from today.

Friday 15th March
I have accidentally filed a pay for an employee and it is showing on my reports. How do I delete it?

Thursday 14th March
The Australian and New Zealand governments recently released a discussion document outlining proposals to relieve the double taxation of investments in Australian and New Zealand companies that operate in both countries.

Wednesday 13th March
The Court of Appeal has again reduced the remedies awarded to redundant workers whose redundancies were commercially necessary, but carried out in a procedurally unfair manner.

Tuesday 12th March
Inland Revenue has played down an international survey showing New Zealand has one of the highest company tax rates in the world, saying "headline" rates of tax do not provide an accurate picture of the overall tax burden.

Monday 11th March
Very occasionally clients using an HP Deskjet 600 printer get the error message 'insert colour printer cartridge'.

Friday 8th March
>From September, employers could face increased red tape and higher compliance costs from the Health & Safety in Employment Amendment Bill. Chapman Tripp clear the air by correcting some inaccurate claims.

Thursday 7th March
Turn your clocks back one hour on Sunday 17th March. If staff are employed during the transition, our Daylight Saving and the Time Act 1974 section clarifies the situation.

Wednesday 6th March
Argentina has become a nation of tax protesters according to recent reports, which have revealed that the nation's beleaguered citizens have turned to tax evasion in order to register their anger at Government imposed limitations on access to their savings.

Tuesday 5th March
Withholding tax requirements for non-resident contractors will be simplified from 1 April, the Government has announced. Non-resident contractors will no longer have to apply for a certificate of exemption from withholding tax if they are eligible for relief under a double tax agreement and are here for less than 62 days in any 12 months. The measure was approved by Order in Council.

Monday 4th March
The total interest rate for student loans is to remain at 7.0% for the year beginning 1 April 2002, the Government has announced. The total interest rate is made up of the base interest rate, set at 5.1%, and the interest adjustment rate, set at 1.9%. The rates are set annually by Order in Council.

Friday 1st March
When I print the IRD approved IR348, the first page comes out with IR348 printed on it, but the second and subsequent pages say IR349. Why is this?

Thursday 28th February
Employers hiring illegal immigrants face fines of up to $100,000 and seven years in prison under changes proposed by the Government as part of an international crackdown on the lucrative people-trafficking trade.

Wednesday 27th February
The rate of interest used to calculate fringe benefit tax for low interest, job related loans has decreased from 7.19% to 6.70%, with effect from the quarter beginning 1 January 2002. The new rate was approved by Order in Council on Monday.

Tuesday 26th February
The Inland Revenue Department has released a public ruling on the assessability of payments under the ERA for humiliation. The IRD treats payments that are compensation for humiliation under the ERA as being not taxable.

Monday 25th February
Provided your employer accepts you have suffered a bereavement, you are entitled to bereavement leave even though cousins are not mentioned in the bereavement leave clause of your employment contract.

Friday 22nd February
This case demonstrates that parties need to take care when preparing employment contracts, as they will be bound by what the contract says. When interpreting contracts, the Court's are generally not interested in what the contract was meant to say.

Thursday 21st February
These companies say they are moving because their worldwide tax rates are higher than those of foreign competitors. Stanley Works expects its worldwide tax rate to fall to 23 percent to 25 percent of profits, down from 32 percent now.

Wednesday 20th February
The Responsible Gambling Bill, introduced into Parliament yesterday, provides for a problem gambling levy on player expenditure to be collected by Inland Revenue, together with gaming duties. The levy will be used to recover the costs of government problem gambling services, including treatment services, public health services and research.

Tuesday 19th February
Workers will have to provide medical or other evidence of stress before the courts will find an employer liable under planned new health and safety rules.

Monday 18th February
All legislative and tax changes taking place on 1st April 2002 are built in to the latest Ace Payroll upgrade, which is now shipping.

Friday 15th February
In Australia, Employment Minister Tony Abbott is to introduce legislation exempting small businesses from unfair dismissal laws and giving them the right to restrict union entry to their premises.

Thursday 14th February - Valentine's Day

Ace Payroll extend their kindest regards to all clients, suppliers and staff today. Thank you for being in our lives.

Wednesday 13th February - The bank says the error rate for electronic payments such as automatic payments and direct debits to Inland Revenue from all banks is about 32 per cent, caused mainly by customers filling in forms incorrectly.

Tuesday 12th February - An increase in the number of people available for work in New Zealand has boosted both employment and unemployment figures.

Monday 11th February
Frequently asked questions written by the Employment Relations Service designed to help with common questions about leave issues.

Friday 8th February
The adult minimum wage increases to $8.00 an hour and the youth rate to $6.40 from 18th March 2002.

Thursday 7th February - This month's IRD Payroll News added.

Tuesday 5th February - Thousands of workers will get more pay but businesses are warning of potential job losses under proposed changes to the Holidays Act.

Monday 4th February - Work-related stress reported to unions in the UK has increased sharply in a year, according to new figures.

Friday 1st February - The Reserve Bank is warning that running current account deficits for long periods means building up debt to foreigners, and that carries risks for the New Zealand economy and New Zealand households.

Thursday 31st January
The Employment Court declined a worker's application for interim reinstatement pending the outcome of her unjustified dismissal claim after work colleagues said they did not want to work with her.

Wednesday 30th January - The volume of telephone calls received by Inland Revenue for the year ended 2001 was 45% higher than in the previous year, which had an effect on the department's call centres' key measures of performance.

Tuesday 29th January - The Occupational Safety and Health Service keeps no record of the causes of workplace accidents, or who is at fault. Nobody can discover, for example, how many employees ignored warning signs, or the number of employers who supplied inadequate safety gear or training.

Friday 25th January - Employers are breathing more easily after a Court of Appeal judgment effectively removed the uncertainty surrounding the "good-faith" concept in the Employment Relations Act.

Thursday 24th January - A breakdown of income tax payable based on the 173,264 company income tax returns filed for the year ended 31 March 1999.

Wednesday 23rd January
A person has the right to keep the property of another until payment has been made for the work carried out on it. Carol McHardy explains the rules of a worker's lien.

Tuesday 22nd January - Commerce Minister Paul Swain wants provisional tax simplified for small business in legislation this year as he seeks to prove the Government is serious about reducing business compliance costs.

Monday 21st January - A prominent Auckland restaurateur has been ordered to pay $7000 to a waitress after she successfully sued him for unjustified dismissal.

Friday 18th January - A leading business organisation wants the Government to axe fringe benefit tax.

Thursday 17th January - The United States lost its final appeal today in a dispute with Europe over tax policies. The ruling is considered all but certain to renew trans-Atlantic trade tensions and could cost American companies billions of dollars in higher taxes.

Wednesday 16th January
I use Ace Payroll to send wages to Deskbank, and rather than have one total for wages appear on the bank statement, I want a separate amount for each employee.

Tuesday 15th January - The Treasury and the Policy Advice Division of IRD yesterday released for comment an official's issues paper on mass marketed tax schemes and the suggested legislative amendments. Mass marketed tax schemes result in investors receiving more tax deductions than the amount of money they invest in the scheme. Typically, the tax benefit of these deductions occurs regardless of the success of the scheme. Although schemes that exploit loopholes in the tax legislation are not new, the Government is concerned about their recent proliferation and wide ranging consequences.

Monday 14th January - Base pay rates of lower-skilled workers are rising faster than those of general managers and computer programmers, a survey shows.

Friday 11th January - The Companies Office says New Zealand businesses will save millions of dollars a year as a result of cheaper fees for its business registry services.

Thursday 10th January - People who claim to have been sexually abused will be able to get big cash sums from ACC again without having to complain to police under a law change that takes effect on April 1.

Wednesday 9th January - Inland Revenue is backing away from a crackdown on MPs' tax-free perks, leaving politicians with several thousand dollars a year worth of tax breaks that no one else enjoys.

Tuesday 8th January - Employers are being trapped in a legal dilemma over their right to sack as more workers are caught downloading or distributing Internet pornography.

Monday 7th January - With this Ninth House Network tool, you can learn to salvage a sinking ship by confronting common workplace problems and by analyzing your reactions and solutions. Your recommended repairs will either bring the mistakes to shore or leave them swimming with fishes.

Friday 4th January - Either Europe must effect a radical cutback in pensions and health care for seniors, or Europe must import scores of millions of Arabs and Africans to care for the elderly and pay the taxes to sustain their welfare states.

Thursday 3rd January - When calling the IRS, customers asking about tax law were given wrong information 25 percent of the time. About 12 percent of the time, customers asking about their account were given wrong information.

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