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Business valuations
We offer expert valuation advice in transactions, regulatory and administrative matters, and matters subject to dispute – valuing businesses, shares and intangible assets in a wide range of industries.
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Capital markets
You need corporate finance specialists experienced in international capital markets on your side if you’re buying or selling financial securities.
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Complex and international services
Our experience of multi-jurisdictional insolvencies coupled with our international reputation allows us to deliver the best possible outcome for all stakeholders.
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Corporate insolvency
Our corporate investigation and recovery teams can help you manage insolvency situations and facilitate the best outcome.
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Debt advisory
An optimal funding structure for your organisation presents unprecedented opportunities, but achieving this can be difficult without a trusted advisor.
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Expert witness
Our expert witnesses analyse, interpret, summarise and present complex financial and business-related issues which are understandable and properly supported.
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Financial models
A sound financial model will help you understand the impact of your decisions before you make them. Talk to us about our user-friendly models.
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Forensic and investigation services
We provide investigative accounting and litigation support services for commercial, matrimonial, criminal, business valuation and insurance disputes.
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Independent business review
Is your business viable? Will it remain viable in the future? A thorough independent business review can help your organisation answer these fundamental questions.
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IT forensics
Effective ESI analysis is integral to the success of your business. Our IT forensics experts have the technical expertise to identify, preserve and interrogate electronic data.
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Mergers and acquisitions
Grant Thornton provides strategic and execution support for mergers, acquisitions, sales and fundraising.
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Raising finance
Raising finance - funders value partners who can deliver a robust financial model, a sound business strategy and rigorous planning. We can guide you through the challenges that these transactions can pose and help you build a foundation for long term success once the deal is done.
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Relationship property services
Grant Thornton offers high quality independent advice on the many financial issues associated with relationship property from considering an individual financial issue to all aspects of a complex settlement.
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Restructuring and turnaround
Grant Thornton’s restructuring and turnaround service capabilities include cash flow, liquidity management and forecasting; crisis and interim management; financial advisory services to companies and parties in transition and distress
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Transaction advisory
Our depth of market knowledge will steer you through the transaction process. Grant Thornton’s dynamic teams offer range of financial, commercial and operational expertise.
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Virtual asset advisory
Helping you navigate the world of virtual currencies and decentralised financial systems.
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Corporate tax
Grant Thornton can identify tax issues, risks and opportunities in your organisation and implement strategies to improve your bottom line.
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Employment tax
Grant Thornton’s advisers can help you with PAYE (payroll tax), Kiwisaver, fringe benefits tax (FBT), student loans, global mobility services, international tax
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Global mobility services
Our team can help expatriates and their employers deal with tax and employment matters both in New Zealand and overseas. With the correct planning advice, employee allowances and benefits may be structured to avoid double taxation and achieve tax savings.
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GST
GST has the potential to become a minefield and can be expensive when it goes wrong. Our technical knowledge can help you minimise the negative impact of GST
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International tax
International tax rules are undergoing their biggest change in a generation. Tax authorities around the world are increasingly vigilant, especially when it comes to global operations.
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Research and Development
R&D tax incentives are often underused and misunderstood – is your business maximising opportunities for making claims?
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Tax compliance
Our advisers help clients manage the critical issue of compliance across accountancy regulations, corporation law and tax. We also offer business and wealth advisory services, which means we can provide a seamless and tax-effective offering to our clients.
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Tax governance
Mitigate tax risks and implement best practice governance that will stand up to IRD scrutiny and audits.
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Transfer pricing
Tax authorities are demanding transparency in international arrangements. We businesses comply with regulations and use transfer pricing as a strategic planning tool.
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Audit methodology
Our five step audit methodology offers a high quality service wherever you are in the world and includes planning, risk assessment, testing internal controls, substantive testing, and concluding and reporting
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Audit technology
We apply our audit methodology with an integrated set of software tools known as the Voyager suite. Our technology has been developed to produce quality audits that are effective and efficient.
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Financial reporting advisory
Our financial reporting advisers have the expertise to help you deal with the constantly evolving regulatory environment.
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Business architecture
Our business architects help businesses with disruptive conditions, business expansion and competitive challenges; the deployment of your strategy is critical to success.
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Cloud services
Leverage the cloud to keep your data safe, operate more efficiently, reduce costs and create a better experience for your employees and clients.
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Internal audit
Our internal audits deliver independent assurance over key controls within your riskiest processes, proving what works and what doesn’t and recommending improvements.
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IT advisory
Our hands on product experience, extensive functional knowledge and industry insights help clients solve complex IT and technology issues
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IT privacy and security
IT privacy and security should support your business strategy. Our pragmatic approach focuses on reducing cyber security risks specific to your organisation
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Payroll assurance
Our specialist payroll assurance team can conduct a review of your payroll system configuration and processes, and then help you and your team to implement any necessary recalculations.
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PCI DSS
Our information security specialists are approved Qualified Security Assessors (QSAs) that have been qualified by the PCI Security Standards Council to independently assess merchants and service providers.
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Process improvement
As your organisation grows in size and complexity, processes that were once enabling often become cumbersome and inefficient. To maintain growth, your business must remain flexible, agile and profitable
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Procurement/supply chain
Procurement and supply chain inputs will often dominate your balance sheet and constantly evolve for organisations to remain competitive and meet changing customer requirements
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Project assurance
Major programmes and projects expose you to significant financial and reputational risk throughout their life cycle. Don’t let these risks become a reality.
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Risk management
We understand that growing companies need to establish robust internal controls, and use information technology to effectively mitigate risk.
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Robotic process automation (RPA)
RPA is emerging as the most sophisticated form of automation used to help businesses become more agile and remain competitive in the face of today’s ongoing digital disruption.
What might the 2018 Budget deliver on regional economic development, and how will it intersect with our largest city? In the first piece in a series analysing Budget 2018, Grant Thornton’s Murray Brewer casts his eye over the options and opportunities.
The government’s moves on regional economic development are courageous and long-overdue, and will have impacts across the whole country. The key question now is how those who receive a slice of the billion dollar provincial growth fund will leverage the full benefits of this investment. This isn’t just an opportunity to enhance economic development outside of the country’s main centres, but to create resilient communities, sustainable jobs, and to boost social inclusion and participation.
The quality of life available to those living outside of Auckland and Wellington is a remarkable selling point that the country has been slow to take advantage of. Those two cities have historically been seen as where serious money can be made, but the rapidly rising costs of living are creating a revolving door effect, where the wealthy are being replaced by those who are even more wealthy. There is increasingly limited housing stock, and a growing disparity between rich and poor. Something has got to give.
Descriptions of regional centres as “zombie towns” may have ironically given many in the cities pause for thought, as it was a clear signal that life could be better and more affordable there. My friends in smaller towns chuckle to me about how despite the predictions they haven’t been mugged yet, their commute passes through two sets of traffic lights, and they’re going fishing this afternoon. For Aucklanders stuck on the southern motorway for an hour and a half every morning, breathing in carbon monoxide and watching trucks practically parked in the slow lane, they may wonder what the point of it all is.
A fundamental problem for attracting people to live in the regions is that they’re not well known for high incomes outside of the health sector and some aspects of primary industries. The economy of regional cities can’t be built up through provision of public facilities and services. But to turn that point around, smaller cities and towns in the regions already boast some of the high quality infrastructure, such as hospitals, good schools and affordable, quality housing, needed for an economy to be built. Not to mention, they’ve also got largely un–congested roads.
At the upcoming budget, and from ongoing spending from the provincial growth fund, the priority must be to take the opportunity to allow people to create meaningful and sustainable careers in the regions. Supporting and continuing the development of ultra-fast broadband will be crucial in this respect – an infrastructure initiative of the previous government that is bringing about much needed connectivity with towns and regional centres. The advantages of allowing more people to work remotely to workplaces headquartered in Auckland are manifold – not only will it bring much needed economic activity into the regions, it will also increase the quality of life for those who must still remain in Auckland.
However, as political tides go in and out, regions can’t necessarily depend on always having access to the grants currently being handed out. There must be rigorous analysis, measurement and monitoring of any money given through the regional economic development fund, to ensure both that the money has been well spent, and to also show future governments what type of investments have succeeded, and which have failed.
Grant Thornton has conducted rigorous and useful analysis through the GrowthAccelerator programme in England. GrowthAccelerator was a UK government service delivered by a private sector consortium led by Grant Thornton UK. The three year programme saw 23,000 small and medium enterprises receive support to realise their growth potential, through highly focused and tailored interventions and assistance. One of the key findings was that there was significant untapped potential for high growth in rural areas. The analysis also found that urban England wasn’t necessarily the driving force behind business growth.
Clearly there are lessons for New Zealand out of that. The money being spent by the provincial growth fund will largely go towards private businesses, which could generate significant export revenue for the country provided their region is well supported in terms of infrastructure. Many areas around the country already fit that bill. We could have a dozen vibrant and thriving centres where talented people can go, rather than just a few.
In the upcoming budget, the government will be able to generate a lot of confidence in their plans, if they present a strategy for how the provincial growth fund will be spent. At the very least, the time is now to present more details on the process for how funding will be allocated.
Economically, it is a crucial time for New Zealand, for life to be breathed back into the so-called zombie towns of New Zealand. A lot of talented and driven people are finding their quality of life is diminishing in Auckland. It is crucial for the country that they choose to build their careers in a different part of the country. The right investment in the regions can see them flourish as an alternative to a departure for Australia or further afield.
