How TMNZ tech takes the pain out of tax
As New Zealand’s first ever tax pool, we’re proud of our long history of innovation. It’s at the heart of everything we do, and we’re always looking for new ways to simplify tax.
Technology has been at the forefront of our efforts, whether it’s rolling out new features for our customers, adding new functionality online, or partnering with forward-thinking digital platforms.
Recently, we’ve rolled out some amazing tools to help our customers and their accountants easily manage income tax.
Discover our top tech solutions to help you take the pain out of tax time, including tools to cut down on admin, share data between platforms, and get instant information on things like tax swaps.
Direct Inland Revenue Integration
TMNZ’s online dashboard is fully integrated with Inland Revenue (IR), meaning taxpayer information held by IR can be seamlessly shared on our platform, to make accountants lives easier.
In the past, accountants had to deal with multiple systems and spreadsheets to find accurate IR information. Integration means this admin work is no longer required.
Inland Revenue and TMNZ systems are directly connected so that key IR information is automatically populated on our dashboard. All relevant IR data, including Residual Income Tax figures, filing dates, and direct IR transactions appear on the TMNZ dashboard once you’ve logged in.
Thanks to IR integration, accountants can save time and reduce admin work. Direct IR integration also removes the risk of manual errors as clients populate information from one platform to another, making the process much more efficient.
IR information is fed into our calculator to help you determine your (or your client’s) tax position as quickly as possible.
Kathleen Payne, Partnerships Director at TMNZ, says:
“Following IR integration, all the data you need for your calculations goes straight onto our dashboard. All you have to do is put in the current year’s position that IR might not know yet, and everything is calculated without further data entry.”
If clients need any assistance with our direct IR integration, then TMNZ’s friendly support team is on hand to help. And you can find out more about IR integration here.
TaxLab integration
TMNZ is now fully integrated with TaxLab, bringing New Zealand’s leading accountants a seamless, all-in-one solution for managing tax payments to enhance provisional tax productivity, so your practice can grow.
We know that juggling multiple platforms eats into valuable time that could be better spent elsewhere – and manual processes can create costly compliance issues, for you and your clients.
Our new TaxLlab integration eliminates these pain points through automated provisional tax workflows, real-time payment visibility and bulk processing. With the click of a button you can calculate complex tax positions, view payment statuses and send reminders and tax pooling quotes, all from the one platform.
“Accountants will get a complete picture of all TMNZ transactions sitting against their clients’ tax year,” Kathleen says.
Like the IRD integration, the setup couldn’t be simpler:
- log in to TaxLab, go to ‘Settings’, and add TMNZ as a connection
- you’ll then be directed to TMNZ to log in and confirm
- from there, you’ll be able to view TMNZ tax pooling information, including a full history of purchases, deposits, transfers, and tax payments.
Integration with Taxlab reduces the time and effort spent sharing information across the two platforms, giving tax agents even more time for their valuable client work.
Group Optimiser
If you’re a busy accountant in public practice looking to manage the tax year for groups of clients, TMNZ’s Group Optimiser tool is tailor-made for you.
This innovative feature enables accountants to calculate the position of several taxpayers and create multiple transactions at once.
Used alongside IR integration, Group Optimiser can make tax calculations even simpler.
Kathleen adds:
“Instead of having to prepare spreadsheets for each member in a group and then decide who has overpaid or underpaid tax, agents can use our calculator to enter a small amount of information. Then, at the click of a button, Group Optimiser calculates how to use the tax across the group in the most effective way.”
Group Optimser is ready and waiting on the TMNZ dashboard. All you need to do is log in.
Upcoming Deadlines
The Upcoming Deadlines function on the TMNZ dashboard is another of our top tech features.
For accountants managing several tax pooling clients, the Upcoming Deadlines feature can be used to track taxpayers ahead of key dates.
Offering total visibility over client tax positions as deadlines approach, the tool suggests prompts and actions to finalise the year.
“It also gives accountants a control list to work through their clients and ensure everything has been finalised,” Kathleen says. “It’s a workflow and control function and will remind advisers about everything they need to do for their clients.”
Automated Tax Swaps
TMNZ’s automated Tax Swaps is our latest dashboard feature, enabling clients to get instant quotes and process swaps below the threshold*.
Tax Swaps allow clients to even out their provisional tax payments if they have overpaid on one date and underpaid on another, saving on IR interest costs.
With our automated Tax Swap service, clients will benefit from faster, more efficient processing
The best part? The Tax Swap function is DIY.
“It’s a self-service system,” Kathleen explains. “If a client knows the swap they want to do, our system will automatically say, ‘Yes, you can do it, and this is the interest you’ll get’. You won’t have to interact with us at TMNZ. You can do-it-yourself.”
“It’s super efficient,” she adds. “Clients will have certainty of the outcome, they’ll know how much interest they’ll have to pay, or what they can earn, in an instant.
“At TMNZ, we’re all about flexibility, and empowering our customers to make decisions at a time that suits them.”
Automated Tax Swaps launched recently, following our pilot with TMNZ’s Early Adopter community in April.
Become an Early Adopter
Are you part of TMNZ’s Early Adopter community, who gets first access to all our latest tech features?
Early Adopters enjoy the benefits of our new products and enhancements before anyone else, with support and training to help you make the most of new tools.
As an Early Adopter, you can share feedback and experiences to help us develop the best tech possible for accountants and clients.
“We love working with people to create the best tax solutions possible,” Kathleen adds. “Our Early Adopters are highly motivated, creative people who want to help us get even better.”
If you’re a tech savvy tax pooling user in an accounting firm, become an Early Adopter in a few simple steps:
- login to your dashboard
- Select your firm
- select ‘Early Adopter Programme’, from the left-hand menu
- review and accept the Terms and Conditions presented
- click the ‘Sign up’ button.
To learn more about TMNZ’s latest tech developments, head to our Innovative Tax Technology page or contact our support team today.
*the threshold is subject to change depending on market conditions.
TMNZ Board announces new Chief Executive
TMNZ is thrilled to announce the appointment of Matt Edwards as CEO, effective 1 May 2024.
Matt joins TMNZ following 16 years of strategic leadership and entrepreneurial experience, working in the FinTech sector in the United Kingdom and across Europe.
The appointment signals the next chapter in TMNZ’s journey, as the purpose-led tax pooling originators and market leaders look to help more New Zealand businesses, in exciting new ways.
Board Director and TMNZ Founder Ian Kuperus said:
“We’re delighted to welcome Matt to TMNZ. Matt is extremely well regarded overseas for his senior leadership of people, strategy, technology, innovation and product capability areas. Now our New Zealand business, and our customers, will benefit from this deep experience.”
Matt’s background shows that he is a growth specialist, with a track record of driving businesses forward, developing high-performance teams and bringing transformational change to businesses looking to take the next step.
New CEO Matt said:
“TMNZ has developed an enviable reputation as an industry leader in tax pooling services. I believe the business is primed and ready to take the next step, by changing up how we deliver our current market offering and better serving our customers' needs in a dynamic FinTech world. I am very excited about the opportunity to drive this vision."
The appointment follows news of former CEO Chris Cunniffe retiring from his position in January 2024, but continuing in an advisory capacity to support a smooth leadership transition. The TMNZ Board personally thanked Chris for 12 fantastic years of leadership. The Board also thanked Amanda Thorpe, for guiding the business through the transition period in her role as Acting CEO.
Under Matt’s leadership, TMNZ remains committed to building on its successes and delivering the best client experience, as well as continuing to donate its profits to Whakatupu Aotearoa Foundation for a restored and thriving New Zealand.
For queries please contact TMNZ Brand and Marketing Director at charlotte.tremewan@tmnz.co.nz
Tax Drawdown: Use your tax payments as a line of credit
Every now and then, businesses can encounter cashflow struggles, whether you have overdue invoices or an unexpected bill to pay. When this happens, it’s typical to ask your bank for help. But did you know there’s an easier, cheaper way?
As a TMNZ customer, you can access funds you have paid into our tax pool at any time. You can draw out your deposits as an affordable line of credit without the headache of a loan application, conversation with a bank, or Inland Revenue (IRD) paperwork and still keep your original tax deposit date.
How it works
Imagine your business is suddenly hit with a big cost and you need some quick cash. By getting in touch with TMNZ, you can access the money you’ve already paid into and held in our pool.
You can draw down the funds on a temporary basis, and our flexibility helps you solve a short-term business challenge in a simple, cost-effective way.
TMNZ Tax Drawdown allows you to use your tax payments in the pool as collateral to take out funds at attractive interest rates. You can request money at any time and it will land in your account within three to five business days (provided AML requirements are met).
The benefits
Tax Drawdown puts you in control. You can borrow money for a minimum of four weeks or a maximum of up to 75 days after your terminal tax date. Once you’ve paid us back, we can continue to hold those tax payments in the pool (which will be available for a future drawdown) or transfer the payments to the IRD to meet your tax liability.
Small businesses and larger companies alike can tap into Tax Drawdown, and there’s no limit to how much of your tax deposit you can withdraw.
If your current tax pool doesn’t do drawdowns, fear not. You can transfer your tax pool payments to us and kick-start the process immediately.
While Tax Drawdown is a bit like a line of credit, we don’t charge line fees or establishment fees like the banks.
TMNZ can also offer more competitive interest rates than the banks. Our rates are the same as our finance rates, which are much closer to the cost of a home loan than a small business loan. Interest costs depend on how much money you take out and the duration of your withdrawal and you’re only charged for the period you use the funds.
Kathleen Payne, Director of Strategic Partnerships at TMNZ, says Tax Drawdown can be a business lifeline.
“It’s really useful for businesses that need to make a capital investment, buy stock, or simply position themselves for the rest of the year. People can use our tax pool to their advantage and it’s so easy to do, with interest costs limited to the time they’re using the funds. It’s another working capital option for businesses, particularly in an environment where cashflow is causing a lot of constraints.”
How to use Tax Drawdown
Accessing your money is a painless process. Get in touch with us or ask your tax adviser to call or email our team.
Kathleen says Tax Drawdown applications are “relatively simple” and can be made multiple times a year.
“A small amount of information needs to be provided. We ask how much money you need and how long you need it for. We then work out your interest rate, finalise the terms, and get it signed.”
Kathleen says Tax Drawdown can help businesses and the New Zealand economy by freeing up money for investment and growth.
“If you think about what businesses use the funds for, it’s additional spending in the economy. Tax Drawdown enables people to use money at a reasonable cost to make capital investments, investments in staff, or meet a market challenge.
“All of these things help businesses survive and thrive, and it has a circularity for the whole economy,” she says. “It’s money going back into the business community while helping companies meet their tax liability. So everyone’s a winner.”
In need of flexible, affordable financing? Contact our team to take advantage of Tax Drawdown today.
TMNZ leadership update, January 2024
After 12 years successfully leading and growing Tax Management New Zealand (TMNZ), Chris Cunniffe has announced he will be retiring from his position and leaving the business in 2024.
While Chris will step down as CEO on 31 January, he will continue to support TMNZ in an advisory capacity, ensuring a smooth transition to TMNZ’s next Chief Executive.
Board Director and TMNZ Founder Ian Kuperus personally recognised Chris for his outstanding service:
"Chris has made a significant contribution to TMNZ, growing our purpose-led tax pooling business from seven people in 2011 to over 70 today, helping hundreds of thousands of taxpayers across New Zealand. Chris has shown an unwavering commitment to his team, clients and communities, through Whakatupu Aotearoa Foundation."
The Board has appointed current TMNZ Head of Transformation and People, Amanda Thorpe as Acting CEO, effective 1 February 2024.
“Amanda brings senior leadership experience in transformation, culture and high-performance, here in Aotearoa and overseas. We’re fortunate that Amanda, as Acting CEO, is well positioned to support the business through the next period of change.” says Ian.
Amanda will work closely with the TMNZ Leadership Team including Acting Chief Operating Officer, Matt Rama who prior to TMNZ managed another tax pooling business.
As TMNZ looks to the future, the business remains committed to continuing to build on its successes and delivering the best people and client experience, as well as continuing to donate its profits to Whakatupu Aotearoa Foundation for a restored New Zealand.
The TMNZ Board has begun the recruitment process for a permanent CEO and once complete, new leadership will be communicated through TMNZ channels.
For queries please contact TMNZ Brand and Marketing Director, at charlotte.tremewan@tmnz.co.nz