Tax cuts bring KiwiSaver into reach for many. The “I can’t afford KiwiSaver” excuse is about to get weaker for many New Zealanders. Tax cuts come into effect from October 1, and many families will also benefit from changes to the Working for Families tax credit and income threshold. The extra money will cover at least half of many people’s KiwiSaver contributions, sometimes more.
Q&As: Reader wants a list showing how KiwiSaver funds have performed, but I won’t oblige; Why farmers mingle their work and personal expenses; More reasons why taxing families as one unit might harm more than it helps.
Q&As: 3 Q&As on whether New Zealand should raise GST and reduce income tax — including how some farmers cheat on their taxes, and whether we want to encourage people to work longer hours; Why KiwiSaver providers are highly unlikely to suffer the same fate as many finance companies.
Q&As: Would it be better to raise GST and lower income tax?; Possible raising of retirement age not a good reason to stay out of KiwiSaver.
Q&As: Average Joe Bloggs, sick of the rich and poor ripping off the system, seeks tax breaks; “Fair Go” television show overlooked three important points when criticising KiwiSaver for children.
Q&As: KiwiSaver naysayer is the one who is “light on fact”; Self-employed KiwiSaver must contribute 4 per cent of pay when he takes a job — but he won’t starve; Inland Revenue “clarifies and expands” its position on mortgage interest deductions after a family home is rented out.
Q&As: 2 Q&As on how the self-employed can make the most of KiwiSaver; More to come on tax deductibility of mortgage interest when you rent out your former home.
Q&As: Far from being “devalued”, bank term deposits are a good deal these days; Don’t bail out of funds that include shares, despite forecasts of lower long-term returns; No, last week’s comment on the non-deductibility of mortgage interest wasn’t wrong — 2 Q&As; Another option for last week’s correspondent is house-sitting.
Q&As: 61-year-old struggling to pay off mortgage considers renting out her house and becoming a tenant elsewhere; Self-employed man wants to get back “over payment” into KiwiSaver.
Q&As: The best KiwiSaver fund for a 23-year-old depends on her house-buying plans; Angry Blue Chip investor muddles my opinion with a reader’s opinion; A reader suggests why online tax payments sometimes go wrong.