New Zealand Government Incentives

Across the OECD, governments use incentive programs to foster innovation and change corporate behaviour. This includes tax incentives, loans, equity investment, business concessions and direct grant funding. Our team of incentives professionals combine experience in science, engineering and business fields with specialist grant and incentive program knowledge to help you maximise incentives in the jurisdictions you operate.

The team

Photographic portrait of Tim Benbow
Dr Tim Benbow
EY Oceania Government Incentives Partner
A photographic portrait of Mark Thompson
Mark Thompson
Associate Director, Government Incentives, Ernst & Young Limited
Mark Patton
Mark Patton
EY Oceania, Tax, Government Incentives Senior Manager

What EY can do for you

Incentive funding must align with your strategy. We will work with you to understand your strategy, projects and operations and recommend which government incentive programs are right for you now, and into the future. Don’t miss another incentive opportunity. We can assist you at all stages of the incentive process; from strategic incentive planning, project alignment and scoping, and preparing applications, through to ongoing compliance and verification.

  • The New Zealand Government’s flagship research and development (R&D) incentive provides a 15% tax credit for expenditure on eligible R&D activities. Tax credits can be used to offset income tax payable, with unused amounts being refunded. Refund caps apply.

    Qualifying R&D includes core R&D activities and supporting R&D activities. Core R&D activity must:

    • Be conducted using a systematic approach; and
    • Have a purpose of creating new knowledge or new or improved goods, services or processes; and
    • Have the intent to resolve scientific or technological uncertainty; and
    • Occur in New Zealand.

    Other activities that are integral to and have the main purpose of supporting the core R&D activity may also qualify as supporting R&D.

    Robust R&D technical documentation and expenditure tracking systems allows businesses to prepare a robust and fulsome R&D claim. EY’s specialist team can assist by facilitating workshops, advising on the design and implementation of systems for tracking and recording projects and expenses, or guiding you through the stages of the application process. EY also has a proprietary digital tool, EY Ready(link) which can assist with compliance and real-time record keeping.

How EY can help

New Zealand Government Incentives

Across the OECD, governments use incentive programs to foster innovation and change corporate behaviour. This includes tax incentives, loans, equity investment, business concessions and direct grant funding. Our team of incentives professionals combine experience in science, engineering and business fields with specialist grant and incentive program knowledge to help you maximise incentives in the jurisdictions you operate.

Read more

The team

Dr Tim Benbow

EY Oceania Government Incentives Partner
Passionate about technology, innovation and high-growth businesses. Proud dad to two daugters and a son. Believer in people, hard work and getting things done.
Auckland, NZL

Mark Thompson

Associate Director, Government Incentives, Ernst & Young Limited
Government incentives specialist with 15+ years of dedicated experience. Passionate about innovation, technology, and sustainability. Loves to go fishing, travel, and brew beer in his spare time.
Wellington, NZL

Mark Patton

EY Oceania, Tax, Government Incentives Senior Manager
I am a geneticist, manufacturing leader, R&D Tax specialist and a father of two. I love the ocean and the wild country of the Southern Alps. Die-hard fan of the Crusaders, Warriors and Liverpool FC.
Christchurch, NZL

Dr Nicole Van der Laak

Tax, Government Incentives, Grant Services Senior Manager, EY New Zealand
I am a material scientist, passionate about innovation and the translation of research and ideas so they have impact on the world. I love the ocean, being outdoors and spending time with my two boys.
Wellington, NZL
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