Odyssey cont...

by Shawn O’Grady
4 Minute(s) to read

Odyssey cont...

My time in hospital the Odyssey continues...

The Hospital routine usually started with and shower or a spounge bath on alternative days, however it was not uncommon for me to convince my nurses for the day that I needed a shower, (skills I’ve learned managing clients over twenty odd years as an accountant). The shower usually came with a thrilling ride at the end of it. The floor in the shower suite was higher than the floor in the ward and when the nurses moved me from the shower back to the ward they would have to let go of the hoist as it passed through the door into the ward.  This is where the fun started as the hoist would free wheel out of the shower into the ward with the nurses struggling to control the hoist.  More often than not I’d find myself free wheeling out into the ward with the nurses in hot pursuit.  I’d have to make sure I was suitably clothed before commencing this maneuver.

Unlike our recent summer October/November last year was blessed with beautiful sunny mornings and after my morning shower I would be able to look out over the Boulcoutt Farm Heritage Golf Course toward the Hutt motorway and dream of driving along the motorway in morning traffic, something that I don't do very often, but it was a way of escaping my then current predicament, being locked up in hospital and not enjoying the sun. Although really sitting in the sun in a warm ward looking out the window dreaming of somewhere else to be, while waiting for lunch had it’s merits. I found sandwiches a safe choice for lunch, you knew what to expect. Unlike some hospital patients I would at least give the food a go, later in my stay odyssey I learnt that there was another approach to the food, but I’ll explain that later

A fellow patient wasn’t overly impressed with hospital food and proudly told his visitors about an experiment with the food. Bear in mind that we were on the fourth floor with a 9 to 12 inch window ledge on the outside where a seagull would rest.   He stuck some food on the ledge and until I left some 3 weeks later the food hadn't been touched.

As I was starting to get comfortable with the setup in the Orthopedic ward, I found a stranger introducing himself as the administrator of the Rehabilitation ward, while I was having my afternoon nana nap.  He was suggesting that I might like to consider being moved to this ward. The way the move was suggested, it sounded like it had some sort of stigma to it, especially when he added there were a lot of dementia patients in the  East Wing, but of course you would go to the West Wing, it left me with the thought of ‘what the hell was going on.’

New Contractor Withholding Tax Rules

If you are a contractor, or engage the services of a contractor, are you up to speed with the changes to the withholding tax rules?

From 1 April 2017, contractors can elect their own withholding tax rate.  This means they no longer have to have tax deducted from their payments in line with their flat rate under the withholding tax rules (otherwise known as the Schedular Payment rules).

Schedular payments apply to contractors across a broad spectrum of industries; from cleaners, farmworkers and gardeners, to entertainers, sportspeople, labour-only builders and fishing boat workers.   The withholding rate can be equally as broad; from 33% for examiners' fees, to 10.5% for personal service rehabilitation payments.

With the new rules however, contractors can choose to elect a lower withholding tax rate, down to a minimum of 10% (15% for non-resident contractors).  This is done by the contractor electing a rate on their Tax Rate Notification for Contractors form (IR330C) which they provide to parties they invoice.  The idea being that the lower rate will more accurately reflect the contractor's end of year marginal tax rate.

 

HAVE WE GOT YOU THINKING?

 

Give us a call on (04) 563 6965 or email: dennis@taxman.co.nz or shawn@taxman.co.nz

Keep an eye out for June’s article!

 

TAX DATES TO REMEMBER

  • 7th May 2017 - Third instalment of 2017 Provisional Tax…

  • 7th May 2017 - Bi monthly GST Return for Feb/Mar 2017…

  • 7th May 2017 - Six monthly GST Return for Oct/Mar 2017…

  • 20th May. 2017 - Monthly employers PAYE payment…