Provisional tax is not without its challenges. Marc and Lee Walker from Walker & Co Real Estate know this all too well.
The husband and wife duo do not take umbrage at paying tax. No siree Bob. It’s part and parcel of being in business. And they accept it ain’t going away.
But they do have issues with the provisional tax system in its current condition.
Occasionally they feel the whole thing isn’t conducive to helping their small business grow. After all, having to pay tax even though they have not earned a single cent can certainly be a kick in the ribs.
But that is a consequence of IRD’s inflexible payment dates. Pay up – or pay the price.
If this sounds familiar, grab a pew and lend them an ear. Marc and Lee are about to detail how paying provisional tax with TMNZ enables Walker & Co Real Estate to remedy this problem.
Introducing Walker & Co Real Estate
To understand their perspective on provisional tax, one must understand more about their business.
They own and operate Walker & Co Real Estate. It’s a boutique agency in Upper Hutt. Warm and welcoming, it’s the type of place that caters to all walks of life. There’s always a cuppa on hand as they converse with buyers and sellers to deliver the best outcome. It certainly has that homely feel.
Collectively, Marc and Lee bring nigh on 20 years’ experience within the industry. So, they know what’s what. Five of those have been spent running Walker & Co Real Estate.
Like any business, there are peaks and valleys. There are sales aplenty in spring and Christmas. In winter, business chills a little.
That seasonality affects Walker & Co Real Estate. When cash is in short supply, Marc says it can be tough getting things like marketing and advertising squared away.
Adds Lee: “Obviously when your commissions come in there’s good money. However, you’ve got to sell a property before you get the cash coming in. So cashflow is definitely…very difficult.”
Provisional tax can hinder business growth
And the last thing Walker & Co Real Estate wants to do is hand over money to IRD when things are tight.
That puts the kybosh on their business plans as they are having to use the funds they need to operate or would invest elsewhere to cover it.
That, in turn, does not help them earn the do-re-mi.
Why Walker & Co Real Estate uses TMNZ
As they prefer to keep money in their business, Walker & Co Real Estate chooses to pay its provisional tax with TMNZ. This allows them to make their payments when it suits their business cashflow.
“Having the resource to put into your business is very important,” says Marc.
“Growth is important and if you take resources away from companies like us, our growth gets stagnant a little bit and it takes longer to get traction. To not worry about [provisional tax], it certainly helps us grow.”
Lee agrees. “It takes away all those stresses. You’re passing it on to somebody else and saying ‘take care of this for me, I don’t know what to do, we’ve got a shortage of cashflow’ and it’s the best way of putting more energy into your business and doing the things that you’re good at.”
All that peace of mind costs the pair is TMNZ’s interest, which is much cheaper than the usurious interest IRD charges. Not a bad trade-off for greater flexibility. No nasty late payment penalties either.
Lee says everything was easy to set up. Forget about phoning IRD and, providing you can get through to someone, facing an “interrogation” from its staff.
“[TMNZ are] there to help you – and they know their stuff.
“If you are unsure of anything at all, they will answer everything in a way that you can understand it. The everyday person, because there’s accountant language and everyday person language and they put it in a way that you can understand it as an individual or a company.”
Just give it a try
Marc reckons other business owners should give serious thought to using TMNZ.
“You solve a problem for a lot of businesses,” he says.
“I talk with a lot of business owners and we’re all the same – there’s a certain month in the year that you need to get things squared away and this from my point of view would certainly help them.”
Lee is much more effusive in her praise.
“Every time you have got that payment coming up you know you can give them a call and they will have it sorted for you. When you use the professionals and they do a job and do it well, leave it to them.
“Try it for a couple of years and see how you go. You’ll never turn back and will use them every time.”