LINZ releases latest property data
Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) latest property data shows that in October to December 2016, 2 percent of property
transfers involved overseas tax resident buyers and 3 percent involved overseas tax resident sellers
Released each quarter, the figures are gathered by LINZ for property tax purposes. They are not a register of foreign
ownership.
“We saw a slight drop in the number of overseas tax resident buyers. They were involved in 2 percent of transfers in
October to December, compared to the 3 percent we saw in the first three quarters of 2016,” says LINZ Deputy Chief
Executive Russell Turner.
“Overseas tax resident sellers were involved in 3 percent of transfers in October to December. This is also similar to
the first three quarters of 2016.”
Of the remaining transfers over October-December:
• 58 percent of transfers involved buyers who have only New Zealand tax residency. For the July to September quarter
this was similar at 60 percent.
• 40 percent involved buyers who did not need to provide tax information – the majority of these were New Zealand
citizens or residents who are buying their main home. This compares to 37 percent in the July to September quarter.
These figures include trusts and companies.
Auckland results
“For Auckland transfers, 4 percent involved overseas tax resident buyers and 3 percent had overseas tax resident
sellers. For the July to September quarter this was 4 percent for both buyers and sellers.”
Transfers involving a home on the land
Mr Turner says that to help find out more about property transfers in New Zealand, buyers and sellers are also asked to
provide information about their citizenship or visa status.
“This shows that for properties where there’s a home on the land, approximately 693 transfers (2 percent) involved
buyers who were not New Zealand citizens, residents nor held visas that allowed them to live here. Approximately 34446
(79 percent) involved buyers who were New Zealand citizens, residents or visa holders, and approximately 8559 (20
percent) involved trust companies or businesses.”
LINZ has also improved the way this information is gathered so that the next report, covering January to March 2017,
will show transfers involving work or student visa holders.
Key figures 2016
QuarterJan-Mar 2016Apr-Jun 2016July- Sept 2016Oct-Dec
2016
Overall number of Transfers
45,114
57,678
53,991
50,814
Number and
Percentage of transfers involving overseas tax resident buyers
(incl trusts, companies and businesses as well as individuals)
1158 (3 percent)
1749 (3 percent)
1431 (3 percent)
1128 (2 percent)
Number and percentage of transfers involving overseas tax resident sellers
(incl trusts, companies and businesses as well as individuals)
1062 (2 percent)
1560 (3 percent)
1503 (3 percent)
1371 (3 percent)
Number and percentage of Auckland transfers involving overseas tax resident buyers
(incl trusts, companies and businesses as well as individuals)
474 (4 percent)
900 (5 percent)
648 (4 percent)
519 (4 percent)
Note:
LINZ also asked home buyers and sellers whether they or their immediate families were work or student visa holders and,
if so, if they intended to live on their land.
The results to this question are inaccurate and should not be used as 48% of those who answered as if they held a work
or student visa, also claimed the main home exemption (that is only available to New Zealand citizens and residents).
We have made improvements to the way we gather this information, and will have precise information on transfers
involving work or student visa holders in the report covering January to March 2017.
For transparency, we have shared the results we do have as well as more information on this in the appendix of the
latest report.