Using Sammy in New Zealand
Sammy works for New Zealand businesses as well as Australian ones. Tell Sammy your business is in New Zealand and your quotes and invoices charge 15% GST, show your GST number, and use New Zealand terms. Sammy also works to New Zealand building rules and suppliers when he writes your quotes.
Choosing New Zealand#
When you sign up. The sign-up form has a Country field. If your phone or computer is set to New Zealand time, New Zealand is already picked. If it isn't, pick New Zealand yourself. Your phone number is then checked as a New Zealand number, like 021 123 4567 or 09 123 4567.
After you've signed up.
- Go to Settings, then the Business tab
- Change Country to New Zealand
- Tap Save
You can also change it in Settings → AI → Basic trade.
In a team. The team owner sets the country for the whole team in Team settings. Everyone's team quotes and invoices follow the team's country.
GST at 15%#
Every new quote and invoice is charged GST at 15%. You'll see GST (15%) in the quote's Financials, on the proposal and on the invoice.
Quotes and invoices you made before you changed country keep the GST they were made with. A quote made at 10% stays at 10%, and an invoice made from it does too. To charge 15% on an old job, start a new quote.
Not registered for GST? Mark the quote as GST exempt, the same as in Australia. See Marking an estimate as GST exempt.
Your GST number#
Where an Australian business enters its ABN, you enter your GST number (your IRD number).
- Go to Settings → Business
- Enter it in the GST No. field
- Tap Save
Sammy checks the digits. If they don't look right, you'll see a warning. It won't stop you saving, but check the number before you send a quote. Your GST number prints on your quotes, proposals and invoices.
On a client's details, the number field is labelled GST No. / NZBN. Put in whichever your client gave you.
Dollars and wording#
Your prices still show with a $ sign. Where your documents name the currency, they say NZD.
Your Sammy plan is priced in NZD too, including GST:
- Pro: NZ$119/month or NZ$1,140/year
- Team 3: NZ$299/month or NZ$2,870/year
- Team 5: NZ$489/month or NZ$4,690/year
If you pay through the App Store or Google Play, the store shows you its price in NZD before you pay.
Your terms#
If you haven't written your own terms, Sammy gives you New Zealand ones:
- Quotes: "Nothing in these terms limits your rights under the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 or the Fair Trading Act 1986."
- Invoices: "A progress claim is a payment claim under the Construction Contracts Act 2002."
- Both: "All prices are in NZD and include GST."
To check or change them:
- Go to Settings, then the Terms tab
- Open your quote terms or invoice terms
- Edit the wording, or tap Reset to start from the New Zealand terms
- Tap Save
If you saved your own terms before you switched to New Zealand, Sammy leaves them alone. Read them through and swap any Australian wording yourself.
Saving your terms once also makes sure the same wording prints on your PDFs.
These terms are a starting point, not legal advice. Check them with your lawyer or adviser.
Your bank details#
Sammy's example payment details show an Australian BSB. New Zealand banks don't use one. In Settings → Terms, open your payment instructions, delete the BSB line, put your full account number (like 12-3456-7890123-00) on the account line, and tap Save. Until you replace the example, your invoices say "Please contact us for payment details."
Suburb or town instead of a postcode list#
In Australia, Sammy has a postcode picker. In New Zealand you type your suburb or town and postcode instead, like "Ponsonby, Auckland 1011". You'll see this when you finish setting up your account and in Settings.
Address search shows New Zealand addresses, and phone numbers are read as New Zealand numbers (+64).
Xero#
If you use Xero, Sammy picks your New Zealand tax codes for you:
- Lines with GST go to Xero as 15% GST on Income
- GST-exempt quotes and invoices go as No GST
To use different codes, go to Settings → Integrations, open Xero, and change Tax rate or GST-exempt tax rate. See Xero.
What Sammy knows about New Zealand#
When your business is in New Zealand, Sammy:
- prices in NZD, with GST at 15%
- works to the New Zealand Building Code and standards like NZS 3604, and talks about building consents and Licensed Building Practitioners (LBPs)
- knows New Zealand suppliers like PlaceMakers, Mitre 10, Bunnings, ITM and Carters
- writes in New Zealand English and won't mention Australian rules or states
Sammy still uses your own rates and supplier prices first. See How Sammy gets pricing.
Your Sammy plan#
Billing in Settings shows your plan's price in NZD. See Managing your subscription.