Sidekick Rural

30/09/2026

We’re excited to announce a new office in Invercargill… and even more excited about what that means for Southland farming businesses.

Please join us in welcoming Director Jo Thomson and Associate Olivia Lee of Sidekick Flintoffs to the Sidekick Rural team.

They bring strong Southland connections and a genuine passion for working with agri-businesses, and will be supported by Richard Wheeler in South Canterbury, and Brett Wooffindin in Wairarapa, who are looking forward to working alongside the team to deepen the rural advisory services available in the region.

From succession planning and forecasting through to business planning, profit improvement and strategic advice, this expansion gives Southland farmers access to local people who understand their business, backed by a wider rural team with experience across New Zealand.

We’re looking forward to getting stuck in and helping more Southland farming operations define what success looks like for them.

Read the full story:

Sidekick Rural is now in Southland. Meet Jo Thomson and Olivia Lee, backed by rural advisory experience from across New Zealand.

23/09/2026

We’ve been busy across South Canterbury and the Wairarapa meeting with farming families who are ready to start succession conversations.

Succession planning is about people, relationships, expectations, responsibilities and money.

And when you’re talking about a family farm, that can make for some pretty difficult conversations.

Our advice? Start early.

Bring everyone to the table. Give everyone a voice. Get clear on what each person wants, where they fit, what their responsibilities will be and what a successful outcome looks like for the whole family.

Because leaving succession planning until you have to make decisions under pressure can make an already complex process even harder.

Our role is to help families work through the numbers, the options and the conversations, with a focus on finding an outcome that works for the people involved and the future of the farm.

If succession planning is something your family needs to start talking about, our Succession Planning Guide is a good place to start.

Download your free copy, then when you’re ready to take the next step, get in touch.

https://www.sidekickca.co.nz/farm-succession-planning/

22/09/2026

Have you received this letter? IRD is cracking down on PAYE payments, so this one’s worth checking.

Employers whose annual PAYE and ESCT is $500,000 or more, are being sent letters reminding them that PAYE needs to be paid twice a month from 1 October 2026.

This rule isn't new, but IRD is cracking down on compliance, so now’s a good time to make sure your payroll and payment process are set up correctly.

We've broken down who this affects, the payment dates and what you need to do in our latest blog.

If your business is over the $500K threshold, have a read and talk to us if you're unsure what you need to change.

Read the blog here:

If your annual PAYE and ESCT is $500,000 or more, you need to pay PAYE twice a month. Here's what NZ businesses need to know from 1 October 2026.

16/09/2026

Farmers are asking more of their accountants.

Not just tax returns and annual accounts, but business planning, succession planning, board-level support, accountability and someone to help them make better decisions.

More farmers are understanding that profit isn’t just made out in the paddock. It’s made in the planning, the numbers and the decisions behind the scenes too.

They’re starting to look for the Swiss Army knife of advisors. Someone who can help wherever they need it, with a clear focus on making the business more successful.

That’s what we do; Move the dial

Watch Richard explain how he’s seeing the role of the rural accountant evolve, and if you’re finding yourself questioning whether your accountant is evolving with your business, maybe it’s time you booked a call with one of our team.

https://www.sidekickca.co.nz/rural-appt/

10/09/2026

Xero is putting its prices up from 1 October 2026, so this is the perfect time to check that you’re getting the most value from it.

The new standard monthly prices excluding GST are:
Ignite: $37
Grow: $89
Comprehensive: $117
Ultimate: $135

If you use Xero, there are plenty of features and automations that can save you time and make it work harder for you.

We can help you identify where you could automate some of the repetitive stuff you're still
doing manually.

We've covered it all in our latest blog.

Take a look ⬇️
https://t.mtrbio.com/sidekickrural

08/09/2026

Ready to improve your farm’s performance?

With insights derived from our farming clients, we can take a live look at current farm performance (per kgMS or per hectare) and compare trends from FY25 to FY26.

We can also drill into the data for sharemilkers, contract milkers and Sheep & Beef farmers, giving you a clearer picture of where your farm is performing well and where there may be room to improve.

Get your free copy of the 2026 Sidekick Rural Insights Report and find out how your farm stacks up.
www.skca.co.nz/ruralinsights

03/09/2026

The OCR has moved. Here’s what it could mean for your farm.
Yesterday the Reserve Bank increased the Official Cash Rate (OCR) from 2.5% to 2.75%.

Richard has broken down what that could mean for your business in this reel.

The bigger question for business owners is what you do with the change.

You can’t control the OCR, but you can control how prepared your business is for changes in the cost of capital.

That means understanding your profitability, cashflow, debt and what different interest rate scenarios could mean for your bottom line.

It’s also a good excuse to celebrate 8 years of Richard at Sidekick today. Richard, spent years in banking prior to joining the Sidekick family, and is one of the resident banking specialists in our group who we can call on when we need advice.

If you’re keen to look at an interest rate strategy for your farming business, talk to your Sidekick advisor.

01/09/2026

What happens to the farm if you’re not here to run it?

For many farming families, the farm is the business, the livelihood and one of the biggest assets they’ll ever own.

Without a valid will (and a clear succession plan), you’re leaving some very important decisions to the law.

That can create uncertainty around ownership, cashflow, management and what happens next for your family.

September is Wills Month, so it’s a good time to have the tough conversations.

Here are two things we recommend chasing this month:
1. Talk to your lawyer and Sidekick Rural advisor about whether your will, farm structure and succession plans are all working together.
2. Think about the legacy you want to leave. Your local community foundation can help you support the local causes in your community that matter to you, now or as a gift in your will.

You’ve spent a lifetime building the farm. Make sure you have a plan for what happens next.

26/08/2026

If your income’s looking different this season, your provisional tax position will too.

Tax pooling can give you more flexibility to manage your cashflow, while still keeping you compliant with IRD.

In this clip, TMNZ explain how it works for farmers and why it can be worth considering when cashflow is under pressure.

Want the full conversation? Watch the full video https://youtu.be/_nkKYKnZr-U?si=l8h4vgslICuwgxbs
The farming-specific sections are timestamped in the description.

And if you want to understand whether tax pooling could work for your farm, send us a message to get started.

19/08/2026

Some of our sheep & beef clients have earned more this year, than the last 4 combined!

It might seem like a crazy statistic, but it backs up the latest Small Business Insights from Xero.

NZ’s Agriculture is leading the way with 16.3% growth, its best result in nearly 4 years. Which is encouraging, but only part of the story.

What matters is what that growth means for your farm, and what strategies you’re putting in place to manage tax, cashflow and how to grow that profit further.

Send us a message to book a call when you’re ready to delve deeper into your farm’s finances with a Sidekick advisor.

You can read the full Xero Small Business Insights https://www.xero.com/nz/resources/small-business-insights/latest-new-zealand/