Over One-Third of Cyberattacks Come from State Sponsored Hackers

New Zealand is a target for state-sponsored cyberattacks, according to the government’s National Cyber Security Centre. Official data indicates that as many as 38% of the 339 hacks that it responded to since 30 June 2018 were state-sponsored in origin. The NCSC reported that the number of attacks detected in…

Data Reveals Difference in Inflation Rates Between Households

Is it getting more expensive to live in New Zealand? That depends on who you ask. New data from Stats NZ measures the cost of living through household living cost price indexes, comparing inflation between 13 different groups. In the third quarter of 2019, the highest-spending households experienced a quarterly…

New Zealand’s Slowing Economy Inspires Varying Theories – and Plenty of Blame

New Zealand’s economy continues to lose momentum this year, experiencing its lowest annual growth rate since 2013. This dip has been accompanied by an increase in negativity across the news media, with businesses and consumers alike questioning international trade tensions, global economic health, and Brexit. The country’s GDP increased by…

New Zealand Salaries can now Legally be Paid in Cryptocurrency

Last month, New Zealand became the first country to fully legalise salary payments in cryptocurrencies. The ruling came into effect on September 1st, 2019 and will last for three years. The Inland Revenue Department, who announced the decision in a bulletin released on August 7th,  states that as long as…

7 Common Mistakes People Make with Their Taxes

Taxes aren’t a part of life most people would consider fun. Keeping track of all your receipts and records can be tiresome and tedious at the best of times, and infuriating and confusing at the worst. But unless you want the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) to come knocking on your…

Concern Mounts as New Zealand’s Economy Starts to Show Signs of Slowdown

Economic growth in New Zealand continues to perform well by most measures, although businesses across the country are worried about a slowdown in economic performance as a result of inflation. A sense of optimism among business leaders is notably lacking at present, in the wake of Prime Minister Ardern’s declared…