Import tax

[M3AN 4016]

The online IRD pay/refund service is fantastic, all those other companies do it register as your tax agent and use exactly the same facility. It takes the same amount of prep on your part whether you do it yourself or pay a service to do it for you, all you save is the 10 mins it takes to complete the wizard.

Graham is correct, you shouldn't need to pay for this service.

Heck, the IRD system even allows you to find out if you do own something without submitting that to the IRD themselves and it will not trigger collection. They pretty much couldn't provide a better facility.

 

[gjm 3258]

1 minute ago, M3AN said:

The online IRD pay/refund service is fantastic, all those other companies do it register as your tax agent and use exactly the same facility. It takes the same amount of prep on your part whether you do it yourself or pay a service to do it for you, all you save is the 10 mins it takes to complete the wizard.

Graham is correct, you shouldn't need to pay for this service.

Heck, the IRD system even allows you to find out if you do own something without submitting that to the IRD themselves and it will not trigger collection. They pretty much couldn't provide a better facility.

IIRC they have somewhere in the process a facility to add info about things you have done, costs incurred, which might be offset against the tax you have paid.
It's really easy to use.
However, if you do not have a computer (and there are a huge number of people who don't) then one of the 'services' may be useful. Even then though, you can call the IRD and deal with them over the phone.

[M3AN 4016]

It's 2018, who doesn't have access to a computer? ?

Libraries provide internet access for free. Although no redtube. ?

 

[Olaf 3317]

8 hours ago, M3AN said:

Graham is correct, you shouldn't need to pay for this service.

Heck, the IRD system even allows you to find out if you do own something without submitting that to the IRD themselves and it will not trigger collection. They pretty much couldn't provide a better facility.

 

I agree.  And you don't need to pay, if you take advantage of the IRD system.  Aren't we lucky, though, to have the choice here in Godzone?  That you can engage a service if you want to.   In the same way I can book and buy my own air travel, or use a travel agent to do it for me.  

[huff3r 347]

7 hours ago, Olaf said:

I agree.  And you don't need to pay, if you take advantage of the IRD system.  Aren't we lucky, though, to have the choice here in Godzone?  That you can engage a service if you want to.   In the same way I can book and buy my own air travel, or use a travel agent to do it for me.  

At least a travel agent provides a unique benefit, in that they have access to deals that the public simply do not, just like mortgage brokers, or insurance brokers. 

Tax refund services do not. You are better off comparing them to the shopping trucks that also prey on the vulnerable and uninformed. 

[Olaf 3317]

52 minutes ago, huff3r said:

At least a travel agent provides a unique benefit, in that they have access to deals that the public simply do not, just like mortgage brokers, or insurance brokers. 

Tax refund services do not. You are better off comparing them to the shopping trucks that also prey on the vulnerable and uninformed. 

I see the point you're trying to make, though it's not working for me. 

If I book direct myself with the airline on-line, I usually get the best price on my trip, including the additional stuff like travel insurance, rental car, hotel.  I can buy the same thing from the travel agent, and may get the benefit of some local experience (if the agent has been on a travel-bookers junket), or even booking tours for me at the destination; though I now pay a premium to have the agent do something I can do myself direct with the airlines or with online aggregators like Webjet or Expedia.  Thus the travel agent's offering these days is not such a unique benefit, and it comes at a cost which I don't need to pay  as I can do it myself online for less.

I think the better comparison re preying on the vulnerable and uninformed would be the pay-day loans shops; legalised loan-sharking IMHO. 

[M3AN 4016]

4 hours ago, Olaf said:

...If I book direct myself with the airline on-line, I usually get the best price on my trip, including the additional stuff like travel insurance, rental car, hotel...

If you actually believe that then there's no hope I'm afraid.

 

[zero 1162]

10 minutes ago, M3AN said:

If you actually believe that then there's no hope I'm afraid.

 

We are going to Fiji on Tuesday, and the trip was nearly $500 cheaper booked online. We went to the travel expo and even there they couldn't beat the price.

[M3AN 4016]

17 minutes ago, zero said:

We are going to Fiji on Tuesday, and the trip was nearly $500 cheaper booked online. We went to the travel expo and even there they couldn't beat the price.

Where's the cheapest you found travel insurance? Through the airline? No...

[kiwi535 538]

travel insurance?I haven't bought that since my first credit card

Edited October 28, 2018 by kiwi535

[M3AN 4016]

I think you missed the point lol.

 

[zero 1162]

4 hours ago, M3AN said:

Where's the cheapest you found travel insurance? Through the airline? No...

Expedia

[Olaf 3317]

10 hours ago, M3AN said:

If you actually believe that then there's no hope I'm afraid.

Don't be afraid, Dave; It's my experience.  I don't bother with travel insurance as it's included in my credit card (yes I have had to use it), and I've not found a comparable rental car deal that beats what Air NZ plonks in front of me as an add-on when I've booked my flights, despite scouring Expedia and rental car aggregation sites.

[M3AN 4016]

I can sell you guys an aftermarket warranty for appliances too if you like.