New Zealand offers something most jurisdictions cannot: an exceptional quality of life, a genuinely welcoming society, and a tax environment that rewards those who plan carefully on arrival. For internationally mobile individuals and families considering where to base themselves, it deserves serious consideration.
What tax advantages does New Zealand offer internationally mobile families?
New Zealand's tax framework offers meaningful advantages for internationally mobile individuals and families. Buddle Findlay's tax team works with our clients' specific circumstances and provides detailed written advice tailored to each client's needs. We have summarized below some of the key tax considerations and benefits in the following sections.
No estate, inheritance or gift taxes
New Zealand has no estate duty, inheritance tax or gift duty. For individuals and families coming from jurisdictions where those taxes exist, this is a straightforward and material advantage. Personal tax planning in New Zealand focuses on protecting and growing family assets, not managing death taxes.
The transitional resident exemption
The transitional resident exemption applies to new migrants and returning New Zealanders who have not been New Zealand tax residents in the previous 10 years. They qualify automatically for a four-year exemption on most foreign-sourced passive income from the date they become New Zealand tax residents. The transitional resident exemption covers foreign dividends, interest, rental income, income from offshore investment structures, and income from controlled foreign companies and foreign investment funds.
The transitional resident exemption is available only once. Planning during the exemption window, and structuring personal and investment arrangements before it expires, is one of the most significant tax planning opportunities available to anyone moving to New Zealand. Getting that advice early makes a material difference.
Capital gains tax
New Zealand does not have a comprehensive capital gains tax. However, this does not mean that all capital gains go untaxed: New Zealand already taxes gains in certain circumstances, including gains on property held on revenue account and returns on certain offshore investments. Understanding which of your assets and investments may be caught by these rules on arrival is an important part of the planning process we offer clients.
The opposition Labour party has proposed introducing a tax on gains from the sale of land, excluding the family home, which would apply from July 2027 if Labour wins the November 2026 general election. This is a proposed policy, not current law, and it relates to land only. We are monitoring developments closely and can advise on structuring that works under current law and remains adaptable to any future changes.
Foreign investments
New Zealand's tax rules include specific controlled foreign company and foreign investment fund provisions for New Zealand residents who hold interests in foreign companies and investment vehicles. These rules have recently been updated to better accommodate the position of new migrants and returning New Zealanders who hold foreign investments that cannot readily be restructured on arrival. The interaction between these rules and the transitional resident exemption is an important part of the planning analysis we undertake for each client.
The Active Investor Plus visa
New Zealand's Active Investor Plus (AIP) visa programme provides a structured pathway to New Zealand residency for qualifying investors. The 'Growth' category requires NZ$5m in qualifying New Zealand investments over three years, with a minimum of 21 days in New Zealand per year. The 'Balanced' category requires NZ$10m over five years with a minimum of 105 days per year.
AIP visa holders benefit from specific exemptions under New Zealand's Overseas Investment Act (OIA), which otherwise restricts overseas persons from acquiring residential property. Under rules that came into force in early 2026, AIP, Investor 1 and Investor 2 visa holders can buy or build one home in New Zealand worth more than NZ$5m, subject to consent from Land Information New Zealand. Consent is inexpensive and generally granted within five working days, with pre-approval available for up to a year.
One important point: the home does not count as a qualifying investment for the AIP visa. It is a lifestyle asset that sits alongside the required investment, not in place of it. The property can be acquired through a company or trust. We advise on the OIA consent process and on the tax and structuring questions that arise when AIP visa holders acquire New Zealand property.
AIP visa holders face specific tax questions from the moment they commit to their investment, including how to structure the investment and any associated arrangements, and how to use the transitional resident exemption period effectively. We advise on both.
How can Buddle Findlay's private wealth team help clients moving to New Zealand?
Buddle Findlay's private wealth tax team advises internationally mobile individuals and families on the New Zealand tax consequences of moving to, returning to and investing in New Zealand. We have experience advising non-residents and new arrivals on the transitional resident exemption, AIP visa holders on the tax dimensions of their New Zealand investments, and families with assets across multiple jurisdictions on cross-border trust structures and offshore investment arrangements.
Our tax lawyers work alongside Buddle Findlay's private wealth team, which advises on trusts, wills, relationship property, family constitutions and closely held business and company structures. For clients who need both tax and legal advice, we offer advice on both.
We do not provide immigration law advice, but we work closely with specialist immigration advisers and can facilitate those connections for clients who need integrated immigration and tax planning support.
We can help you with:
Transitional resident tax exemption: planning and structuring during and before the expiry of the exemption period
Active Investor Plus visa: tax structuring and investment planning
Cross-border trust and offshore investment structures
New Zealand's controlled foreign company and foreign investment fund rules
Double tax agreement implications for internationally mobile individuals
Income tax planning for high net worth individuals and family groups
Tax dimensions of family asset planning across generations
New Zealand land acquisition: tax and investment considerations for AIP visa holders.
What does the process of working with Buddle Findlay involve?
Our work with new arrivals and returning New Zealanders typically follows a clear and predictable process from an initial consultation through to a detailed report and ongoing advice as required by clients.
Initial consultation: we meet to understand your circumstances, your assets and your plans, and confirm the scope of advice you need.
Questionnaire: we provide a tailored questionnaire to gather the information we need across your personal residency, assets, income, company interests and trust structures.
Report: we prepare a detailed written report outlining your New Zealand tax obligations, the application of the transitional resident exemption to your specific circumstances, and the steps we recommend before and after your arrival.
Ongoing advice: we remain available as your circumstances develop, including at the review date before the transitional resident exemption expires and as New Zealand's tax landscape continues to evolve.
