Profile
Sir Winston Churchill famously said “there is no such thing as a good tax”. And while many will agree with that statement, I prefer a slogan in a Morgan Stanley advert – “you must pay taxes. But there’s no law that says you gotta leave a tip”.
My fascination with tax started at university and has remained with me since. I started my career as a Solicitor with the Large Enterprises Unit of Inland Revenue where I was primarily involved in preparing tax dispute documents and dealing with binding ruling applications. From there I moved on to work with a couple of accounting firms, Horwath Wellington (now BDO) and Ernst & Young – gaining tax experience (both consulting and compliance) advising SME’s and corporate clients. Immediately prior to setting up my practice, I was an Associate Director with a boutique tax practice providing complex tax advice (including international tax) to high net worth individuals/families.
I decided to set up a tax practice so that I can continue to work in tax, but more importantly, to have the autonomy to provide high quality, confidential, and personalised tax advice to a select number of clients.
Outside tax
Together with my dog, Scruffy, we compete in dog sporting and obedience competitions. This is a very different challenge and I am very much a beginner, but it takes me completely out of the world of tax!
I am the Vice-President (Wellington) of the New Zealand Law Society, Vice President of the Wellington branch of the NZ Law Society, and executive committee member of the NZ Fiji Business Council.
In terms of community involvement, I have in the past volunteered with Wellington Victim Support, for over a decade. More recently, I have served as board member and Chair of the charity, Parent Help. And, I currently foster puppies for the SPCA.
Qualifications
Victoria University of Wellington (1998 – 2002)
- Bachelor of Laws (LLB)
- Bachelor of Commerce and Administration – Economics and Money & Finance
Honors and awards
2018 Pasifika Business Owner Award Winner (Pasifika Business Network)
2018 National Pacific Woman in Business Award Finalist (Pacific Business Trust)