Quote Originally Posted by Snoopy View Post
SBQ you are right about the tax payable by NZ holders of 'overseas' shares, because of the NZ FIF regime, being equivalent to an ongoing annual management fee. You are wrong about the rate though. NZ Taxpayers are taxed based on 5% of the capital value of their FIF portfolio at the beginning of each financial year. That 5% of opening capital value is taxed at your marginal tax rate. If your marginal tax rate is 30%, then the tax rate you pay on your opening portfolio balance is:

0.3 x 5% = 1.5%

This is less that one third of the figure that you were bandying about.

SNOOPY
Why not list all the individuals' IRD tax brackets? We have 10.5%, 17,5%, 30%, & 33%. IMO at $70K+ the 33% kicks in is a very very low threshold compared to today's cost of living. FYI, in Canada the 33% tax bracket doesn't kick in until about $215K. (The NZ gov't doesn't understand what 'indexing to inflation' means and that's why we have fixed threshold figures set like they were over 10 years ago). Anyways 33% marginal tax rate is a fair figure making an effective FIF tax rate of 1.65%.

Now let's question what the managed Kiwi Saver funds pay under FIF? PIE Fund? Then you will understand it's not as simple as saying the effective FIF tax rate is 0.3 x 5% =1.5%

The most compelling problem with NZ's retirement planning? It's the fact that regardless of the person's age, IRD's taxes on investment hit people the same as they're young or old. For eg. a person's income in their 30s to 50s is a lot higher than a retired person living in their 60s or 70s. It's a known fact seniors earn little or no salary or wage income. However, the investments they make in a managed fund or owning shares are taxed indiscriminately year after year regardless of the individual's earning status. All because the focus for NZ tax is to get the tax 1st and not worry about taxing at the end where the person can simply cash out their pension fund without paying taxes. This is VERY VERY different to retirement planning in Canada and in the US where investing is all about minimising the amount of tax to pay by deferring the income at retirement age. One thing certain, the cards are stacked in favour for investing in NZ real estate because of the tax savings (or absence of capital gains tax).