Important info to get your business started
Helpful resources...
When you sign up for the freemeup services, we set you up with a Technology, Health & Safety, and Insurance service (depending on the services you select). We also put you in contact with Hnry, who provides an accounting and tax automation tool for sole traders.
If you have been reading about freemeup and following on LinkedIn, you probably already have a good idea about what these services provide. If not, have a quick look at our blog “essential services for sole traders” as a starter for 10.
As part of onboarding you to freemeup, we also provide some essential info to get your business started, such as GST registration, first aid training, and H&S prequalification, to name a few. If you are thinking about working as a sole trader, here are those links. They might be helpful for you.
H&S prequalification
Prequalification is an assessment process that enables clients to restrict the engagement of contractors to only those who have been assessed against independent good practice criteria. Prequal validates:
✅ contractors are committed to health and safety.
✅ contractors have compliant systems that operationalise this commitment.
✅ contractors have implemented these systems.
Suppliers who provide H&S prequalification certification to their clients are effectively telling their clients they commit to doing everything that is reasonably practicable to keep themselves and others safe from harm when they do work for that client.
If you want to know more about H&S prequalification, check out the freemeup blog “Do Sole Traders need H&S Prequalification?“
Freemeup can help you obtain your Tōtika prequalification for the sole trader category as part of the H&S service.
First Aid Training
A useful certificate to have as a sole trader and to help with H&S prequalification is a current first aid certificate. There are lots of providers out there. I renew with Hato Hone St John every 2 years. For most of their basic first aid courses, you can complete the theory assessment online and pop into a nearby center to finish the practical part of the course.
To check out their first aid training courses, visit the St Johns Book first aid courses page.
You can treat First Aid training as a deductible business expense.
Site Safe certification
If you have a current Site Safe passport and want to maintain it when starting as a sole trader, check this link to take you to Site Safe’s All Training Courses page.
You can treat work-related Site Safe courses as deductible business expenses.
Vaccinations
If you are planning on visiting treatment plants as part of work, you may want to check if you need protection against certain diseases. Your GP will be able to advise, or you can use this link to visit the Worldwise website and see if there is a clinic near you. Worldwise provides vaccinations for travel, but can also give advice about and administer vaccinations for work.
You can treat work-related vaccinations as a deductible business expense.
Claiming expenses
As a sole trader, you can claim certain expenses and deduct them from your income. This in turn reduces your tax bill. However, you can only claim expenses that are purchased to run your business. You also need to keep good records and keep all your receipts.
To get a better understanding of what you can, and can’t claim, check out the Claiming expenses guide by business.govt.nz.
If you are going to work from home, you should be able to claim a percentage of your home office expenses. To find out how to claim those expenses, check out this article by Hnry:
GST
As a sole trader, if you earn more than $60,000 in 12 months, then you will need to register for GST. You can register for GST online using myIR, but you will need a myIR web logon to do so.
You can create a myIR web logon using your personal IRD number via the ird.govt.nz website. Navigate to myIR login by clicking on the “myIR login” button located top right-hand corner. Then click on the “Not yet registered for myIR” link to create a new account.
If you want more information about GST requirements and how to register, this quick “How to Register for GST” guide provided by Hnry is helpful.
New Zealand Business Number - what is a NZBN and do I need one?
As a sole trader, you can apply for an NZBN which is a unique identifier for your business.
When you apply for an NZBN your business becomes part of a single searchable register of all Kiwi businesses. The register contains your primary business data such as your trading name, phone number and email address.
This means:
✅ Anyone who does business with you (your clients, service providers, or government agencies) can easily access the details they need to work with you.
✅ Your business appears more credible, and clients can be sure they are dealing with you (and not some other similarly named business down the road).
✅ Over time your details will be shared with government agencies and other businesses, so you only need to update your details in one place.
RealMe and applying for an NZBN
You will need a RealMe account to obtain a New Zealand Business Number (NZBN) via the New Zealand Companies Office. Once you have accessed the site, click on the “Log in” button (top RHS) and click on “Create a RealMe login” on the RHS of the page.
FYI – A RealMe logon can also be used to logon to your myIR account too.
How do I get an NZBN?
Freemeup has partnered with Watersorted – an online marketplace for professionals working in the water industry, where you can list your business and sell your services. Anyone who signs up for a freemeup service can have help registering and creating their shop, all for free! Check out https://www.watersorted.com/ if you want to find out more about this awesome marketplace.
Disclaimer: All content provided on freemeup.nz is for informational purposes only and is intended as a general information resource regarding the matters covered. It is not tailored to cover specific situations and circumstances and shouldn’t be taken as direct professional advice. Freemeup makes no representations to the accuracy or completeness of the information found on this site or found by following any links on this site and will not be held liable for any losses, injuries, or damages from the use of this information.
