Are professional membership fees deductible for NZ sole traders?

Yes, membership fees paid to professional and trade associations are generally deductible for New Zealand sole traders, provided the membership is directly related to your business activities and helps you maintain or develop your professional capabilities. **Deductible memberships include:** - Chartered Accountants Australia New Zealand (CAANZ) - Physiotherapy New Zealand - Real Estate Authority (REA) licence fees - EWRB electrical licensing fees - NZ Law Society practising certificate - REPS NZ (Register of Exercise Professionals) - Any industry body membership used in connection with your business **Not deductible:** - General interest clubs or associations unrelated to your work - Personal memberships (gym, sports clubs for personal use) Annual subscriptions that renew automatically are particularly easy to miss at tax time. A good habit is to review your bank statements in April each year looking for annual subscription debits from the previous 12 months.

• Deductible if directly related to your business/profession
• Includes licensing fees, regulatory registration costs
• Personal club memberships and gym fees are NOT deductible
• Annual auto-renewals are easy to miss — check bank statements
• Trade association subscriptions are deductible