New Zealand has a policy framework and regulations that actively encourage economic openness and resilience, leading the country to be ranked as having the fourth freest economy in the world. According to the Index for Economic Freedom for 2012, published by the Heritage Foundation and the Wall Street Journal on January 12th and examining economic conditions and market regulations in countries around the world, in 2011 New Zealand was ranked the 4th country in the world for its market freedom, regulatory efficiency, the ... Read More

New Zealand’s business environment and tax policies are encouraging a greater number of international companies to shift their operations into the country. While making a media statement on May 31st, ManufacturingNZ executive director Catherine Beard said that New Zealand’s 28 percent corporate tax rate and comparatively low wage rates is an strong incentive for Australian manufacturers to shift at least part of their production to New Zealand based facilities. Her comments came in response to an announcement made on May 27th by ... Read More

Data centers and IT operations across Australia and New Zealand will soon need to face a heavy overhaul and upgrade, in order to address the possibility of a new carbon tax. At the Kickstart Forum held over the weekend in Queensland, representatives of IT companies in Australia and New Zealand indicated that the possibility of carbon taxes is causing a reevaluation of the operation and planning of datacenter. Carbon levies have been debated heavily in New Zealand and Australia throughout 2010, leading analysts to ... Read More

The New Zealand Companies Office has recently tightened compliance controls on the formation and registration of New Zealand companies with overseas directors and shareholders, or companies suspected of being nominee companies for overseas entities. The New Zealand Companies Office has recently stepped up its documentation requirements for registration of New Zealand companies with overseas directors and shareholders. Some newly registered companies with non-resident directors and shareholders have recently received letters from the Companies Office, instructing them to provide extra documentation confirming the ... Read More