Budget Planner
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Budget Planner

Your trusty map. Plug in what you earn in a typical month, then plan where every dollar goes — business, tax, personal. If the maths doesn't balance, better to find out here than at year-end.

GST registered
Calculations treat income as ex-GST. GST passes through to IRD.
Track actuals
Add what really happened this month and see the variance per line.
Monthly income (gross, ex-GST)
$
Roughly what hits your account from clients each month
Income tax set-aside
28%
0%28% (most sole traders)40%
Applied to profit (income − business costs). This is what IRD wants for your income tax.
= $2,156.00 / month
GST set-aside
15%
0%15% (full rate)15%
Approx net GST owed to IRD (GST collected on sales minus GST paid on inputs). Drop to ~10% if you have heavy GST-bearing purchases.
= $1,155.00 / month
Where every dollar goes
Business
$2,300.00
Income tax
$2,156.00
GST
$1,155.00
Personal
$3,250.00
Buffer
$1,139.00
Business budget
$2,300.00
Overheads
Rent, power, phone, software subs
$
Materials / COGS
Supplies, parts, consumables
$
Marketing & growth
Ads, website, new tools to grow
$
Personal budget
$3,250.00
Basics
Rent / mortgage, power, groceries
$
Downtime
Holidays, weekends off — you need a breather
$
Fun money
Small treats. Don't be a martyr.
$
Savings & investments
Emergency fund, KiwiSaver, future you
$
Income
$10,000.00
− Business costs
-$2,300.00
− Income tax
-$2,156.00
− GST
-$1,155.00
Take-home
$4,389.00
Buffer left
$1,139.00
Healthy — $1,139.00 left over.

On track. Keep an eye on it monthly so a slow week doesn't sneak up on you.

Why bother with a budget?

Your trusty map to running a profitable business.

A budget is a plan stating how you intend to earn and spend your money. It gives you a clear view of where you stand, so you can make informed decisions on the fly — and steer your business towards your goals with confidence.

As a sole trader, you and your business are intertwined — which means you're really managing two budgets at once: one for the business, one for your personal life. The trick is balancing them.

Business budget covers
  • · Overheads — rent, power, phone, software subs
  • · Cost of goods sold — supplies, parts, materials
  • · Marketing & growth — ads, new tools, expansion
Personal budget covers
  • · Basics — rent / mortgage, power, groceries
  • · Downtime — holidays. Even solo operators need a breather.
  • · Fun money — small treats, no guilt
  • · Savings & investments — emergency reserve, KiwiSaver, future you
Balancing the two

If you're growing the business, expect a little less take-home for a while. If you're growing the family (congrats!), scale back business spend.

Either way: check in monthly, adjust on the fly, cover immediate needs and long-term growth, and always keep a cushion for surprise expenses.

⚠️ And don't forget tax. Park 25–30% of profit in a separate account the day it lands. Future-you sleeps better.
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Email me this budget

A monthly snapshot you can forward to your accountant — or your partner.

By NZ Taxation Ltd

Numbers not adding up?

That's literally our day job. Tax planning, budgeting, GST returns — let us handle the spreadsheets so you can swing the hammer.