MinterEllisonRuddWatts

Corporate and Commercial - Tax

Partner and Head of Tax

Andrew advises on all aspects of New Zealand tax law, from cross-border transactions of major corporates to employment taxes for privately owned businesses.  His clients also include Government entities, partnerships, insolvency practitioners, charities and not-for-profit organisations, and private individuals.

As a leading tax lawyer and chartered accountant, Andrew has advised at the highest level on many of New Zealand’s most complex transactions. He is a trusted adviser to listed companies such as Z Energy and Tower, major New Zealand banks, and a diverse range of clients across many industries, including financial services, real estate, infrastructure providers, forestry, consumer goods and pharmaceuticals.

In addition to his corporate tax practice, Andrew enjoys assisting private wealth clients with their tax affairs, particularly non-resident individuals seeking to invest, relocate or spend time in New Zealand. He has expertise in trust structuring and the New Zealand tax treatment of trusts, including the application of the foreign trust regime to non-residents.

As well as working with colleagues from MinterEllison Australia, Andrew regularly collaborates with other law firms in Asia-Pacific, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Switzerland, and the United States of America, achieving co-ordinated tax results for clients.

Andrew has expertise in corporate taxation and obtaining binding rulings from Inland Revenue. Working as part of a cross-functional team, Andrew helps clients with structuring, securitisations, transfer pricing, tax disputes, FATCA/CRS reporting, and the taxation aspects of private equity investments, limited partnership agreements, joint ventures, and mergers and acquisitions.

With experience in all aspects of GST law, Andrew successfully obtains favourable outcomes for clients in disputes with Inland Revenue. He is also an expert on share schemes, employment taxes and executive remuneration taxation.

Andrew is a member of the New Zealand Law Society Tax Reform Committee, the Financial Services Council Tax Advisory Group, and is a co-author of the LexisNexis Business Law Module and the LexisNexis Property Practical Guidance. He has a strong interest in sustainability, assisting in the establishment of Toitū Tahua, the Centre for Sustainable Finance, and acting for AgriZeroNZ which is a public-private partnership helping farmers reduce emissions while maintaining profitability and productivity.

English

Member, Tax Law Committee, New Zealand Law Society

Member, Tax Advisory Group, Financial Services Council NZ

Member, Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand

Member, International Fiscal Association (New Zealand)

MTaxS (Hons), University of Auckland (1999)

CA, Institute of Chartered Accountants (1996)

LLB, University of Otago (1993)

BCA, Victoria University of Wellington (1990)