On any given work day, Baqir Hussain doesn’t just mind the books of his small business and property investor clients; he saves them money.
As a tax specialist in business-friendly New Zealand, Baqir made the leap from public practice to accounting entrepreneur after identifying a market niche in the real-estate sector.
‘Around 80% of landlords in New Zealand own a single rental property and almost 97% own between one and five properties,’ he says. ‘For many of these investors, property is seen as the primary retirement plan.
‘New Zealand has a flexible work culture unlike many other countries in the world’
‘However, Inland Revenue (IRD) rules are complex, and most accountants aren’t property specialists. Our services help this cohort to legally minimise tax, maximise cashflow and avoid IRD trouble.’
Tax pathway
UAE-born Baqir relocated in 2017, having accepted a job offer from KPMG Auckland. There, he broadened his skillsets in various roles, including an appointment to CA ANZ providing oversight on all registered auditors in the country.
Within three years, however, he’d transitioned from employee to sole practitioner, acting on the property tax advisory idea spawned while building his own home in a joint small development with friends. The move also offered more flexitime to spend with his wife and young family.
‘New Zealand has a flexible work culture unlike many other countries in the world,’ he says. ‘Work-life balance is a big thing; clients are very understanding, as long as they get results.’
Coming from the UAE, which imposes no personal income tax or, at the time, even a goods and services tax (GST), Baqir had no prior tax experience on his CV. However, the technical knowledge gained from ACCA’s tax syllabus, coupled with the partnership between ACCA and CA ANZ, provided the pathway for Baqir to obtain his tax agent’s licence in New Zealand.
‘There is no ceiling as to where and how you want to grow your business’
He now regards specialising in tax as a great business opportunity for start-ups. ‘If you’re an accountant living in a tax regime you have a recurring revenue base. Businesses have to file their taxes every year, if not more frequently when it comes to GST, payroll and bookkeeping. Clients increasingly prefer to know exactly what they’ll pay and be able to budget for it, so we apply a similar approach in the practice to the monthly subscription models used by organisations like Netflix.’’
Entrepreneurial mindset
Alongside managing client relationships, Baqir’s workload skews heavily towards business development. His multichannel marketing strategy includes an active social media presence – via LinkedIn, Facebook and, now, a YouTube channel providing free tax tips – and a weekly client newsletter called Tax Made Simple.
He’s also writing a second book, a follow up to 10 Biggest Property Tax Mistakes Kiwis Make That Cost Thousands, published in paperback and available online for free download. These efforts have enhanced his brand visibility and clearly add value; for the past three years, Finex’s recurring client base has recorded 100% annual growth rate. From a sole trader at start-up, Baqir now employs staff across three countries – New Zealand, the Philippines, and Malaysia.
CV
2025
Director and founder, Finex Chartered Certified Accountants
2020
Principal adviser, audit oversight, CA ANZ
2019
Audit and assurance manager, BDO New Zealand
2017
Audit and assurance assistant manager, KPMG New Zealand
2015
Audit and assurance assistant manager/trainer – audit methodology, KPMG Lower Gulf
The upsides of his career pivot to entrepreneurship, he says, are flexibility, freedom and potential. ‘There is lots of opportunity out there,’ he says, ‘and no ceiling as to where and how you want to grow your business.’
That said, owner-operators do need to have a greater risk appetite. ‘It can be hard on some days and if you’re not prepared, that can hurt. I’m not necessarily working less, but I do have greater control over my hours. I can pick up and drop my kids at school, work from anywhere I want, and set my own schedule, generally speaking.’
ACCA ‘bedrock’
Baqir regards ACCA as ‘the bedrock of who I am, and where I am, today’.
Following in the footsteps of his older brother, he began studying with ACCA directly out of high school and, while still a teenager, was offered a full-time role at KPMG in Dubai. The brothers’ younger sister was similarly motivated to study with ACCA.
The qualification’s global recognition made relocation to New Zealand possible, and helped to expedite the residence visa and citizenship processes.
‘Be open to un-learning and re-learning certain things’
‘The non-traditional, non-university pathway to professional accountancy I was able to pursue early on in my career supercharged my growth,’ says Baqir, who has also been an ACCA marker for a private institute in Dubai.
These days, Baqir volunteers as treasurer for three local charities in New Zealand that primarily serve the ethnic, migrant and faith-based communities, as well as being a member of New Zealand Police’s ethnic advisory board. ‘Again, I thank ACCA for giving me the skillsets to perform these personally fulfilling community roles.’
What insights has he gained from starting his own business? ‘Firstly, you should be able to solve a problem. That’s the heart of how business works,’ he says.
‘Secondly, be open to un-learning and re-learning certain things. Operating a practice is like operating any other business, so if you’re not open to change, you will struggle.
‘Thirdly, be mindful of who you spend time with in your personal and professional circles. Having a supportive network around you, in a conducive environment, is key.’
