Moving from New Zealand to Dubai: Tax Residency, Selling Your Company and Your Business Valuation

By Bill Anderson, FCCA, Chief Executive Officer, Assetica · Published 2026-11-13

Direct Answer: New Zealand does not charge an exit tax on your company shares when you leave, and it has no general capital gains tax. The harder question is residency. You stay a New Zealand tax resident, taxed on worldwide income, until you have no permanent place of abode there and have been away for more than 325 days in a 12-month period. New Zealand owners moving to Dubai still need a valuation for the Golden Visa, for restructuring and for the sale of the business.

New Zealand is unusual. Most countries on this site tax you for leaving. New Zealand does not. That makes the move simpler, but it moves the risk to a different question: have you really left?

This guide covers residency, how a share sale is treated, and the points where you need a valuation. It is for owners of private New Zealand companies moving to the UAE.

You stay resident until two tests are met

Inland Revenue says you become a non-resident only when both of these are true.

You do not have a permanent place of abode in New Zealand.
You are away from New Zealand for more than 325 days in any 12-month period.

A home that stays available to you, or family who remain, can count as a permanent place of abode. While you are still resident, New Zealand taxes your worldwide income, including dividends and salary from your company.

No exit tax, and no general capital gains tax

New Zealand does not treat departure as a sale of your shares. It also has no general capital gains tax, so a gain on selling shares held as a long-term investment is usually not taxed. There are exceptions.

Share dealers. If you bought shares to resell them, or you trade shares as a business, the gain is taxed as income.
Property. The bright-line test can tax residential property sold within the bright-line period.
Foreign shares. The foreign investment fund rules apply to some overseas shareholdings while you are resident.

New Zealand and the UAE have a double tax agreement, in force since 2004, which settles residence where both countries claim you.

Where the valuation comes in

With no exit charge, the valuation is not a tax base. It still matters at three points.

The Golden Visa. The business route asks for a report showing your own equity is worth at least AED 2 million, net of debt. Our Golden Visa valuation guide covers what it must contain.
Restructuring. Moving shares into a UAE holding company is a transaction between related parties and needs a market value. See our guide to holding company structures.
Selling the business. A buyer and their funder need a price backed by normalised earnings, with owner salaries and related-party costs adjusted to a market level.

A dated valuation also helps show when value was created, which is useful evidence if your residency date is ever questioned.

Moving from New Zealand to the UAE?

Tell us when you are leaving and what you own. At the scoping call we confirm the valuation date, the readers and the scope, then quote a fixed fee in writing.

Business valuation for New Zealand owners in the UAE

Frequently Asked Questions

Does New Zealand have an exit tax?

No. New Zealand does not treat leaving the country as a sale of your company shares, and it has no general capital gains tax.

When do I stop being a New Zealand tax resident?

Inland Revenue says you become a non-resident when you have no permanent place of abode in New Zealand and you are away for more than 325 days in any 12-month period. Both tests must be met.

Is the sale of my New Zealand company taxed after I move to Dubai?

A gain on shares held as a long-term investment is usually not taxed in New Zealand. It can be taxed if you bought the shares to resell or you trade shares as a business. Take advice from a New Zealand tax adviser on your own facts.

Why do I need a valuation if New Zealand has no exit tax?

For the UAE Golden Visa, which asks for evidence that your equity is worth at least AED 2 million, for any transfer of shares into a holding company, and to price the business when you sell.

This article is general information, not New Zealand or UAE tax, legal or investment advice. Tax rules, rates and thresholds change. Confirm the current position with a qualified New Zealand tax adviser before you act.

Disclaimer. This article is general information about valuation practice in the UAE and is not a valuation, an opinion of value, or tax, legal or investment advice. Any figures or reference ranges are indicative and are not a quotation for any specific business. Rules, rates and the requirements of individual authorities change, so confirm the current position before relying on anything here. For your own circumstances, book a scoping call.

Speak to Assetica about Business Valuation

Assetica is an independent business valuation firm in Dubai. We do not audit and we do not broker deals, so the number carries no conflict. Read more about business valuation, or book a scoping call. Standard reports are issued in five to seven business days.