Lifetime Property Accounting

16/06/2026

Tip 3 if you are looking to buy a rental or personal house.

12/06/2026

One of our key focus areas is always restructures. Can we restructure to legitimately move debt from your Personal Homes to your Rentals?

With the change to Brightline and Interest Limitation rules a couple of years ago, restructures are now possible. If you have high debt on your personal house and low debt on rentals, or even just some good equity in rentals, it is worth having quick chat with Ross to see what we can do.

Restructures are very complicated and need to be done correctly, and we also need to be mindful of tax avoidance. However, there are some good opportunities.

1) Large company, LTC or Trust shareholder or beneficiary current accounts. A recent example in March we moved $300,000 debt legitimately to rentals, without any legal fees. Saving at least $5,000 in tax this year!

2) QB 12/11 is an old Question we've been asked by IRD, which confirmed it was acceptable to sell a former personal house to an LTC, and the LTC borrowing 100% of the debt with interest being deductible. https://www.taxtechnical.ird.govt.nz/.../qb-1211-income...

3) There can also be other situations where it makes sense to restructure for wider personal or business reasons. This can apply to both Business and Rentals, and in some cases we can move considerable debt to business or rentals.

All of these opportunities need to be implemented correctly, and we must carefully weigh the benefits vs the costs. We also need to consider Tax Avoidance rules, and generally we want there to be a genuine commercial reason for the transaction or restructure, rather than just a tax advantage.

Having a free chat with Ross is a great starting point. This can potentially lead to a paid Property Advisory Meeting, where we can review your situation and provide advice on how to maximise your tax deductions, improve asset protection and offer other practical tips.

https://www.lifetime.co.nz/business-advice/accounting/lifetime-property-accounting/book-a-consultation-property-accounting/

10/06/2026

Best tip to reduce tax on a rental property!

We have been recommending Chattels Valuations for over 20 years, and still amazing how many property investors are not using them, and how many accountants don't understand them.

09/06/2026

Tip 2 - second best tip when you are buying a rental, get completely independent advice.

09/06/2026

How important is it to negotiate well when buying a rental (or Personal Home)?

The table compares a $600,000 loan over a 30 year term, with a $550,000 loan based on the same repayments.

A $550,000 loan will pay $172,174 less in interest!
A $550,000 loan will be paid off 5 years and 5 months earlier!

It's amazing how much you can save by paying $50,000 less for a property, or from having a loan that is $50,000 lower!

Plus:
1) A $50,000 buffer and $50,000 initial equity is created if you are truly buying under value
2) $50,000 in additional capital gain when you ultimately sell
3) In the long term, more equity and lower interest costs should mean you can buy the next property sooner

08/06/2026

Tip 1 of 3 - if you are looking to buy a rental property

08/06/2026

We’re trialling something new with a small group of our existing clients…

Over the next few weeks, we’ll be running a Financial Health Check session. Designed specifically for property investors to step back and review the bigger picture.
This isn’t just about numbers. It’s about making sure everything behind your financial position is working together and that key elements haven't been forgotten.

We’ve developed a practical checklist to guide the conversation and uncover areas that are often overlooked, from risk management and KiwiSaver through to trusts, estate planning, and retirement readiness.

Why might this be valuable for you?

- Get clarity on where you stand today
- Identify gaps or risks before they become issues
- Hopefully only 15 minutes over Zoom with Ross
- Leave with clear next steps and priorities

This is a test run, so we’re keeping it to a handful of clients initially.

If you’re an existing client and would like to check you have everything in order, you can book a session with Ross here. We have allowed 30 minutes but hope to have this completed in 15. https://coombesmithlifetime.as.me/financialhealthcheck

The session is completely free.

06/06/2026

Having flatmates can help financially and may even get you a tax refund!

06/06/2026

3 best tips if you are looking to buy a rental

05/06/2026

Property Trading Example.
Purchase a property for $550,000, renovate it, and have it appraised by agent at $660,000 to $680,000.

Is this a good trade?

Short 6-minute video.

Purchase for $550,000, renovate, and appraise for $660,000 to $680,...