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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.
New Zealand ranked fourth as an economy for business growth
New Zealand is now one of the most attractive countries in the world for supporting and enabling dynamic business growth, having risen from 13th in 2012 to fourth in the latest Grant Thornton Global Dynamism Index (GDI) 2013.
Developed in conjunction with the Economist Intelligence Unit, the GDI ranks 60 of the world's largest economies on dynamism, which indicates changes in an economy that are likely to lead to a faster future rate of growth.
Greg Thompson, partner at Grant Thornton New Zealand, said the index shows that New Zealand has a great platform from which businesses can grow.
“But that is only part of the story. The key is turning potential into reality and actually seeing our businesses grow and prosper with resultant GDP growth,” he said.
The survey ranked countries on 22 indicators of dynamism across five categories including business operating environment, science and technology, labour and human capital, financing environment and economics and growth. Australia was ranked top on 66.5, Chile 64.5, China 62.7 and New Zealand 62.6.
“This really is good news for New Zealand. While the survey shows that we have excellent building blocks in place for future growth, there are also other factors that are in our favour. Our business confidence levels are high and our export markets are strong. When you look at Australia, yes, they might be ranked No.1, but with business confidence on the decline, a struggling mining sector and the shadow of an election, their position is not as rosy as it might seem,” he said.
New Zealand was ranked 8th in the financing environment category, 9th in labour and human capital and 11th in the business operating environment category.
“While we were ranked lower in the economics and growth and science and technology categories (22nd and 23rd respectively) our dynamism index in both has improved since last year,” said Thompson.
“Our archiles heel continues to be low levels of investment in R&D and IT. We are ranked 27th for our R&D spend, well behind sector leaders South Korea, Israel, Finland and Sweden, and 20th in the growth in broadband subscriber lines. In IT spending growth we are ranked 17th,” he said.
“The survey identified our lack of investment in research as a percentage of GDP as a long standing problem area. We are a country that prefers to throw people at a problem rather than investing in technology and R&D to test smarter ways of doing business. We are weak in providing on-going education to our workforce. For many, they stop learning once they leave school or a tertiary institution. Education needs to be a life-long journey, not one that stops in a person’s teens or early 20s.
“With a low percentage of our population under 30 years, the increasing burden on our taxpayers as more people draw superannuation and come to rely more heavily on our health system will impact our ability to grow our economy,” he said.
The areas noted in the index where New Zealand was strong included:
- Foreign trade and exchange regimes and controls
- Policy towards private enterprise and competition
- Political stability
- Legal and regulatory risk
- Broadband subscriber lines per 100 inhabitants
- Unemployment
- School life expectancy
- Quality of overall financial regulatory system
- Access of firms to medium-term capital
- Corporate tax burden
The index also showed that China was the big mover in the index, up to No.3 spot compared with 20th a year ago.
“Growth in China is slowing as the new leadership rebalances the economy away from exports and investment towards a more sustainable, consumption-driven model of growth. However, the positive news is that this is not dampening business expansion prospects. The GDI shows increasing science and technology activity, which will help sustain economic growth potential by boosting the quality, productivity and efficiency of outputs.
“China is not only a massive market, but it is also developing fast. By contrast, the other BRIC economies are not looking as flash. Brazil slid 11 places to rank 42; Russia fell three places to rank 43; and India dropped six places to 48. Of those that topped the index last year, Singapore was the big loser dropping from 1st to 7th, Finland dropped from 2nd to 5th equal, Sweden 3rd to 9th and Israel 4th to 8th.”
For further information please contact:
Greg Thompson
Partner, Tax and Privately Held Business
D +64 4 495 3775
T +64 4 474 8500
E greg.thompson@nz.gt.com