http://www.jessicastebbings.co.nz/blog/ The latest Blog feeds from www.jessicastebbings.co.nz en-us Tue, 10 Mar 2026 23:07:45 +1300 Rocketspark http://www.jessicastebbings.co.nz/blog/post/62327/is-your-business-ready-for-financial-year-end/ Financial year end is fast approaching. Here are 10 quick tips to help you get ready for financial year end:1) Bank Statements - Start collecting key account statements for the period 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026. For example, bank statements, loan statements, hire purchase statements and store accounts.  If you are using an accounting software system such as Xero or MYOB to record your transactions throughout the year, you may only need to collate statements that fall over the 31 March 20... Tue, 03 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +1300 http://www.jessicastebbings.co.nz/blog/#post62327 http://www.jessicastebbings.co.nz/blog/post/59044/entertainment---can-i-claim-that/ With the silly season upon us, it's a good time to refresh on what entertainment costs are deductible for your business.  If an entertainment cost is completely related to your business it can be 100% deductible.  However, being "completely related" is not always easy to determine. Some entertainment costs do include a private element, in which case, this would make them only 50% deductible.  So how do you decide? The IRD have listed some examples of 100% and 50% entertainment cos... Fri, 21 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +1300 http://www.jessicastebbings.co.nz/blog/#post59044 http://www.jessicastebbings.co.nz/blog/post/142010/did-you-know-business-owners-can-choose-their-acc-cover/ As a small business owner, protecting your income is critical. One of the most effective ways to do this is through ACC CoverPlus Extra. Only available to self-employed people and contractors, this option allows you to choose your cover, providing peace of mind and more financial stability.Guaranteed Weekly CompensationUnlike standard ACC CoverPlus, which calculates compensation based on your previous year's earnings, ACC CoverPlus Extra allows you to negotiate a guaranteed level of weekly compe... Tue, 18 Feb 2025 13:44:43 +1300 http://www.jessicastebbings.co.nz/blog/#post142010 http://www.jessicastebbings.co.nz/blog/post/132990/you-can-still-grow-when-business-is-slow/ Navigating a recession or downturn can be tough for small businesses. While it can be tempting to just focus on survival, with the right strategies you can increase your chances of making it through this season while also strengthening your business’ position. Have a look at these ten strategies to help manage the impact of a recession, and position your business for recovery and growth once economic conditions improve, and see if there are any you can start to implement in your business now.1... Fri, 23 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +1200 http://www.jessicastebbings.co.nz/blog/#post132990 http://www.jessicastebbings.co.nz/blog/post/128591/top-tips-to-get-paid-faster/ Having troubles get paid on time?  Here are some of my top tips to get paid faster:1) Use online payment options, such as Stripe or GoCardless.  If you are using a software System such as Xero or MYOB, an online payment option is easy to setup and means your clients can pay straight from your invoice the same way as online shopping.  2) Send timely invoice reminders and often.  Most accounting software systems have automatic email reminder functions available. For exampl... Mon, 20 May 2024 11:16:59 +1200 http://www.jessicastebbings.co.nz/blog/#post128591 http://www.jessicastebbings.co.nz/blog/post/67273/jesss-top-5-software-systems-to-help-run-your-small-business/ With so many software systems available to help run your small business it can be challenging choosing the right ones for you.   Here are my top 5!1) Xero - it's no surprise that I LOVE Xero! The online accounting software system makes invoicing, bank reconciliation, and GST preparation easy! And that's just to name a few things. I could go on for ages about the amazing features of Xero (perhaps another blog), but here are my favourite five features: Your bank transactions feed automa... Tue, 24 Oct 2023 00:00:00 +1300 http://www.jessicastebbings.co.nz/blog/#post67273 http://www.jessicastebbings.co.nz/blog/post/109916/up-the-wahs/ Just thought I would let you know of some instances where Warriors (or any other sporting event) can be deductible for Income Tax and GST in your business. Warriors games would fall under the entertainment rules for tax purposes and there are times they can be 50% deductible or 100% deductible. I've popped examples of both below:50% Deductible Warriors Expenses: Attending the Warriors with clients or potential clients as a networking event, including the cost of game tickets and food and drink e... Wed, 06 Sep 2023 10:33:45 +1200 http://www.jessicastebbings.co.nz/blog/#post109916 http://www.jessicastebbings.co.nz/blog/post/105612/how-to-make-voluntary-kiwisaver-payments/ As a small business owner in New Zealand, your income may not always come in the form of regular PAYE payments. However, that doesn't mean you can't take advantage of KiwiSaver to help save for retirement or purchase your first home.  You can make voluntary contributions and they are easy to setup – see three easy steps below!I already had a KiwiSaver account when I started my business, so for me it was as easy as setting up an automatic payment via my internet banking using my KiwiSaver ... Sun, 11 Jun 2023 17:32:57 +1200 http://www.jessicastebbings.co.nz/blog/#post105612 http://www.jessicastebbings.co.nz/blog/post/104407/why-not-pay-your-income-tax-weekly/ Spreading out any large bill over a monthly or even weekly payment plan can be a lot easier on the cashflow.  So why not do this with your income tax, instead of waiting for the standard Terminal Tax or Provisional Tax due dates?The tax dates don't change.  So if you want to setup regular payment amounts - do it.  As long as your income tax is paid off before the due dates, and you are either a one-off Terminal Tax payer (income tax of less than $5,000 of tax per year) OR a standa... Thu, 11 May 2023 18:25:06 +1200 http://www.jessicastebbings.co.nz/blog/#post104407 http://www.jessicastebbings.co.nz/blog/post/86756/havent-received-your-cost-of-living-payment/ I've had a few questions regarding the Cost of Living Payment, with the first instalment (of three) released this week. If you haven't received the first payment, and think you are entitled, see the below for some of the common reasons I have come across so far: 1) Check your bank account is updated with the IRD. You can check via your MyIR login. If you have forgotten your User ID and/or password for your MyIR login (happens to the best of us), select "Forgot Password/User ID" you can do both. ... Mon, 08 Aug 2022 21:11:33 +1200 http://www.jessicastebbings.co.nz/blog/#post86756