The best tax advisors in Nelson handle a great deal more than a once a year return, covering GST, provisional tax, property and land sales, trusts, and the occasional Inland Revenue review. Tax advisors in Nelson work with sole traders, growing companies and family trusts from offices in the city centre, Stoke and neighbouring Richmond, and the firms below range from long established chartered practices such as WK Strawbridge and Thompson Daly through to specialist consultancies like Resolve Tax Consultants.
1WK Strawbridge Advisors and Accountants
WK Strawbridge is the Nelson office of chartered accountancy and advisory firm WK, working with Tasman businesses from Level 1, 47 Bridge Street. Day to day accounting and tax compliance sits alongside a specialist tax advisory service covering corporate and individual tax, land sales, GST and trusts. The firm works with clients in sectors including forestry, viticulture and tourism, so it suits businesses facing structuring, succession or property questions rather than straightforward filing alone.
Services
- Accounting and tax compliance, including financial reporting
- Corporate and privately held business tax advice, including restructuring and sale
- GST advisory on specific transactions
- Land and property sale tax rules
- Trust tax advice and individual tax on investments and overseas income
Highlights
- Head of Tax with more than 18 years in tax, including nine years at PwC
- Acts as professional representative with Inland Revenue, including during an audit or review
- Nelson directors Amy Austin and Lisa Mortensen work alongside a dedicated tax administrator
- Part of a South Island group with offices in Nelson, Blenheim and Christchurch
- Client work across forestry, viticulture and tourism businesses in the Tasman region
Location & Contact
Name: WK Strawbridge Advisors and Accountants
Address: Level 1, 47 Bridge Street, Nelson 7010
Phone: 03 548 1549
Website: wk.co.nz/nelson
2Resolve Tax Consultants
Resolve Tax Consultants was founded in 2012 by chartered accountant Heidi Tapper, who previously worked as an Audit Tax Manager at Inland Revenue, and operates from Level 1, 186 Queen Street in Richmond. The practice pairs annual accounts, tax returns and GST work with plain English advice on the questions behind the numbers. It suits individuals, small businesses and growing businesses who want to deal directly with one chartered accountant.
Services
- Annual financial accounts and income tax returns
- GST returns and tax administration
- Business start-up support and company incorporation
- Cashflow forecasting, budgeting and management reporting
- Xero support, training and business systems
Highlights
- Founded in 2012 by a chartered accountant with Inland Revenue audit and tax management experience
- Xero certified advisor
- Consultations booked online, with in person meetings in Richmond by arrangement
- Takes single tax questions as readily as ongoing accounting work
Location & Contact
Name: Resolve Tax Consultants
Address: Level 1, 186 Queen Street, Richmond 7020
Phone: 021 117 3607
Website: resolvetaxconsultants.co.nz
3Thompson Daly Chartered Accountants
Thompson Daly is a chartered accountancy firm serving Nelson and Tasman from 266 Hardy Street in the city and a second office on Salisbury Road in Richmond. Its tax work covers income tax returns, GST and structuring advice, sitting alongside financial reporting, business advice and Xero support. The firm keeps client contact with named accountants, which suits owners who would rather ring the person doing the work.
Services
- Income tax returns for businesses and individuals
- GST preparation and filing support
- Tax planning and practical structuring advice
- Annual accounts and special purpose reporting for companies, trusts and individuals
- Xero setup, migration, payroll and training
Highlights
- Practising in Nelson since 1961, with the Richmond office opened in 2011
- Xero Gold Partner
- Members of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand
- Partner Wayne Anderson holds a Certificate of Public Practice and 25 years as a chartered accountant
- Sector experience across horticulture, contracting, engineering and professional services
Location & Contact
Name: Thompson Daly Chartered Accountants
Address: 266 Hardy Street, Nelson 7010
Phone: 03 548 2049
Website: thompsondaly.co.nz
4Brown & Associates Accounting Group
Brown & Associates is a family run chartered accountancy practice at 49 Oxford Street in Richmond, started by Mark and Sue more than 25 years ago and now including their son Dylan, who joined after a stint with one of the big four firms. Alongside annual accounts and returns it runs a specialist tax consultancy covering technical tax issues and tax residency. Clients range from solo operators to companies with more than 70 employees.
Services
- Financial statements and income tax returns
- Specialist tax consultancy on technical and transactional tax matters
- Tax residency advice for individuals and corporates
- Business structuring, tax planning and succession planning
- Rental property accounts through a specialist property division
Highlights
- Family business, with a second generation accountant who trained at a big four firm
- Certified advisors across Xero, MYOB and Futrli
- Virtual CFO option for businesses that do not need a full time finance lead
- Business valuations for sales, purchases, capital raising and relationship property settlements
Location & Contact
Name: Brown & Associates Accounting Group Limited
Address: 49 Oxford Street, Richmond 7020
Phone: 03 928 0529
Website: brownassociates.co.nz
5Accounting & Taxation Centre
Accounting & Taxation Centre has provided accounting and taxation services to Nelson businesses for more than 20 years, working from Putaitai Street in Stoke. Richard and Rebekah Abel took over the practice in 2000 when it had three staff and it now runs with a team of 17, handling tax advice and returns alongside business services such as budgeting, benchmarking and cash flow forecasting. It suits owners who want an affordable, long term relationship with the same staff each year.
Services
- Income tax, GST, PAYE and FBT returns
- Tax advice and business structuring
- Annual financial accounts, management accounts and budgets
- Trusts, charitable trusts and rental property accounts
Highlights
- Under the same ownership since 2000, grown from three staff to a team of 17
- Managing director Richard Abel is a member and board member of the Accountants and Tax Agents Institute of New Zealand
- Publishes an indicative price guide for returns, rental statements and company setup
- Free introductory meeting with the managing director
- Advises on a range of online and desktop accounting software rather than one platform
Location & Contact
Name: Accounting & Taxation Centre Limited
Address: 13-17 Putaitai Street, Stoke, Nelson 7011
Phone: 03 547 1037
Website: atcnelson.co.nz
Tax Advisors in Nelson at a Glance
| Business | Highlight |
|---|---|
| WK Strawbridge Advisors and Accountants | Head of Tax with more than 18 years in tax, including nine years at PwC |
| Resolve Tax Consultants | Founded in 2012 by a chartered accountant with Inland Revenue audit a... |
| Thompson Daly Chartered Accountants | Practising in Nelson since 1961, with the Richmond office opened in 2011 |
| Brown & Associates Accounting Group | Family business, with a second generation accountant who trained at a... |
| Accounting & Taxation Centre | Under the same ownership since 2000, grown from three staff to a team... |
How to Choose the Right Tax Advisor in Nelson
- Match the firm to the work: a straightforward salary and rental return needs less than a company restructure, a land sale or an Inland Revenue dispute.
- Check the credentials behind the advice, whether that is Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand membership, a Certificate of Public Practice, or the Accountants and Tax Agents Institute of New Zealand.
- Ask who will actually do your work and who you ring with a question, since in smaller practices that is the same person and in larger ones it may not be.
- Confirm the software fits, as Xero, MYOB and payroll platforms all carry different certifications and migration costs.
- Agree how fees are set before the engagement starts, including whether you are charged hourly, by fixed price, or on a monthly plan.
Frequently Asked Questions About Nelson Tax Advisors
What does a tax advisor in Nelson actually do?
Most of the work is annual accounts, income tax returns and GST, with provisional tax and payroll obligations kept on track through the year. Beyond compliance, a tax advisor advises on how a business or trust is structured, what a property or business sale will trigger, and how to handle correspondence from Inland Revenue.
How much does a tax accountant in Nelson cost?
Fees depend on the structure and the state of the records, so a sole trader return sits well below a company with a trust and rental properties behind it. Some Nelson practices publish an indicative price guide on their website, others quote after a first meeting, and hourly rates, fixed price packages and monthly plans are all common. Ask for the basis of charging in writing before work starts.
How do I check that a tax advisor is properly qualified?
Anyone filing returns on your behalf should be a registered tax agent with Inland Revenue, and you can read what that status requires at ird.govt.nz. The title chartered accountant is separate and comes from membership of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand, which keeps a public directory at charteredaccountantsanz.com. Some accountants belong to the Accountants and Tax Agents Institute of New Zealand instead, which is also a professional body.
Do I need an advisor if Inland Revenue issues an automatic assessment?
Salary and wage earners with nothing else going on are often fine with the automatic assessment. It becomes worth getting advice once there is rental income, overseas income, a business, a trust, shares, or a property sale that may fall inside the bright line and land taxing rules, because those are the situations where an automatic assessment is either wrong or incomplete.
Can a Nelson firm help with an Inland Revenue audit or dispute?
Yes, several of the firms above act as your professional representative and deal with Inland Revenue directly, including through a review or audit. If a dispute is already underway, say so at the first call, because the timeframes for responding to Inland Revenue are fixed and the earlier an advisor is involved the more options remain open.
Which parts of Nelson and Tasman do these firms cover?
The offices on this page sit close together: Bridge Street and Hardy Street in central Nelson, Putaitai Street in Stoke, and Queen Street, Oxford Street and Salisbury Road in Richmond. All of them work across the wider Nelson Tasman region, and most also keep clients elsewhere in New Zealand and overseas, so being nearer Motueka or Wakefield than the city does not narrow the choice much.
Do Nelson tax advisors work with Xero and MYOB?
Cloud accounting is standard practice here, with certified advisors across Xero, MYOB and payroll tools such as PayHero. If you already use one platform, ask about certification level and what a migration or clean up would involve, and if you are starting from scratch, ask which system suits your volume of transactions rather than defaulting to the best known name.
What should I bring to a first meeting with a tax advisor?
Bring last year’s financial statements and tax returns, your IRD number, details of any company, trust or partnership you are part of, and access to your accounting file if you have one. If the meeting is about a specific decision, such as buying a property or selling a business, bring the agreement or figures you are working from so the advice is based on the actual numbers.
How We Chose the Best Tax Advisors in Nelson
Every business in this guide was found by searching for tax advisors in Nelson, then checked against what the business publishes itself: its own website, or where it has none, its official social or booking page. Names, addresses and phone numbers come from those pages rather than a directory feed, so what you see here is what the business says about itself. We also check that each one is still trading and is actually based in or genuinely serving Nelson, rather than a national operator running a local landing page. A business we can’t confirm from its own pages is not listed.