Buying US Stocks from New Zealand: Rules, Limits, Routes

New Zealand has no capital controls. Foreign investment income taxed under Foreign Investment Fund (FIF) rules: if holdings exceed $100,000 NZD, deemed income is 5% of opening value.

Domestic broker with a US partner

Your local broker routes the order to a partner in the United States. You hold real shares with voting and dividend rights, under full identity verification.

International broker account

You open the account offshore yourself and remit under your country’s rules. Ownership is the same, and the reporting duties sit with you.

Perpetual exposure on Canborsa

A US-equity perpetual tracks the share price and settles in crypto: no broker, no remittance, no share, no votes and no dividends. Funding is charged or paid every 1h while the position is open, and deposits arrive as USDC on six networks.

Yes. Non-citizens can legally buy and own US stocks, and platforms such as Stake, Sharesies and Hatch let residents buy and sell US shares directly.

Stake, Sharesies, Hatch and Tiger Brokers all offer access to US shares for New Zealand residents.

New Zealand's foreign investment fund tax regime can apply to offshore investments including US mutual funds and ETFs held by a New Zealand tax resident.

FIF rules generally apply once the cost of an individual's foreign investment fund interests exceeds a NZD 50,000 threshold.

US stocks are a grey list country holding, so most individual investors below the threshold pay tax only on dividends.