‘Trump cheques’ reach NZ
NZ Dairy Industry Awards
‘‘Our great country is experiencing an unprecedented public health and economic challenge as a result of the global coronavirus pandemic,’’ reads the letter signed by United States President Donald Trump.
‘‘We are fully committed to ensuring that you and your family have the support you need to get through this time,’’ it says.
The president’s letter was penned to go out with US economic stimulus cheques to boost the US economy but some of the boost is being felt here in New Zealand with cheques landing on the doormats of New Zealand residents with American citizenship.
Banks are reporting ‘‘Trump cheques’’ being cashed and deposited here, and one New Zealander with US citizenship said she had spent her US$1200 (NZ$1850) on a new dishwasher.
The woman, who asked not to be named for fear of being trolled by Trump supporters, said: ‘‘I knew about the cheques.
‘‘I had read how they were recalled so they could be reprinted with Trump’s own signature. These cheques were supposed to be about stimulating the US economy,’’ she said.
Instead, hers gave a lift to a New Zealand appliance retailer.
The cheques were part of a multitrillion-dollar effort by the US to help its economy weather the coronavirus pandemic, which continues to rage there. While individuals can get up to US$1200, couples with children under the age of 17 can get even more.
Diana Gamble, deputy chair of the New Zealand American Association, also received a stimulus cheque but was not surprised.
‘‘Every American citizen who files a tax return was going to get one,’’ she said.
Unused to receiving cheques, she had not yet banked it but while cheques are now rare in New Zealand, they remained common in the US, she said.
Gina Gatchell, managing director of NZ US Tax Specialists said some of her clients had received the ‘‘Trump cheques’’ as the stimulus cheques are sometimes referred to.
Every American citizen in New Zealand has to complete a US tax return each year, Gatchell said.
The qualifying criteria for the economic stimulus cheques included having a US tax number, and earning under a certain amount each year. There was no requirement for US citizens to be living in the US.
The 2018 census indicated just over 36,000 New Zealand residents had been born in North America, though that included Canada and Mexico. Westpac had not, however, seen a flood of economic stimulus cheques being cashed or deposited.
‘‘We have seen a small number of these cheques being deposited by our customers over the last couple of weeks,’’ said Westpac spokesman Will Hine.
ANZ had so far been presented with roughly 300 US cheques for amounts corresponding to the US stimulus cheques.
A second round of stimulus cheques may follow with the president telling Fox News he supported expanding the economic stimulus, including sending out more cheques to Americans.
Nick and Rosemarie Bertram, from Wairarapa, were named the 2020 New Zealand Share Farmers of the Year, at the New Zealand Dairy Awards on Saturday. Nick and Rosemarie, 33 and 27 respectively, are 50/50 sharemilkers on Barry and Carol McNeil’s 150ha, 440-cow Woodville property. To win the national title and just over $52,000 in prizes, Nick and Rosemarie demonstrated strengths in pasture management, leadership, business and communication. They also won four merit awards: the Ravensdown Pasture Performance Award, the Federated Farmers Leadership Award, the DeLaval Interview Award and the Westpac Business Performance Award.