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 a recently appointed Referee of the Disputes Tribunal in Wellington. In addition, I am currently President of the Pacific Lawyers’ Association, and have recently completed my term as Vice-President (Wellington) of the New Zealand Law Society. In terms of other governance roles, I am Vice President of the NZ Fiji Business Council, Director of Save the Children NZ, and Board Member of the Pacific Business Trust.
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
2022 Most Influential Lawyers List – named in the Change Maker category (NZ Lawyer)
2021 Top Diverse Board-Ready Directors – named in the inaugural list (Superdiversity Institute)
2018 Pasifika Business Owner Award Winner (Pasifika Business Network)
2018 National Pacific Woman in Business Award Finalist (Pacific Business Trust)