Share Investor vs Trader Tax Calculator

This calculator gives you an indicative view of how New Zealand tax rules are likely to treat your share gains, one of the most misunderstood areas of NZ tax for everyday investors. New Zealand has no general capital gains tax, so a long-term holder of New Zealand or Australian shares often pays tax only on dividends, not on any increase in value. But if you buy and sell shares often to make a profit, you can be treated as a trader, and your gains become taxable as income regardless of where the shares are listed. Overseas shares outside Australia bring in a further layer, the foreign investment fund (FIF) rules, which can tax a deemed return once your total cost passes a threshold set by Inland Revenue. You select whether your shares are in New Zealand or Australia or elsewhere overseas, enter the total cost of any overseas holdings and the FIF threshold that applies, and state whether you buy and hold for the long term or trade often. The calculator combines your answers into one plain-English result, showing whether the FIF rules likely apply or whether you look like a long-term investor. This is general guidance, not tax advice, and the rules on investing versus trading and the FIF thresholds are complex, so confirm your own position with Inland Revenue or a tax professional before relying on it.

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This is general guidance, not advice. There is no general capital gains tax, but trading gains are taxable as income, and the FIF rules tax a deemed return on overseas shares (outside Australia) costing over the threshold. The threshold and rules are set by Inland Revenue and the area is complex, so confirm your position or get advice.