DPA

What DPA does

DPA (dpa Limited) is a privately held New Zealand chartered accounting firm founded in 2002, headquartered in Taupō with additional offices in Masterton and Hawke's Bay. The firm delivers three core service pillars: Accounting Services (tax return preparation, GST/FBT/PAYE compliance, business structure advice, IRD audit support, cashflow forecasting); Business Advisory Services (company formation, strategic planning, business coaching, independent directorship, due diligence, and specialized Māori Trusts advisory led by Angela Clark with 30+ years of experience); and Bookkeeping Services delivered through tiered packages — Payroll Pro, Book Balancer, and Admin Allstar — priced at $85+GST per hour. The firm is a Xero Platinum Partner, integrating the Xero cloud accounting platform across its practice, and offers a SuiteFiles-powered Client Portal for secure document exchange.

The firm's technology stack is modest and ecosystem-dependent rather than proprietary: it relies on Xero for core accounting, SuiteFiles for client document management, and works with multiple payroll platforms (Xero Payroll, Smart Payroll, MYOB Payroll, Thankyou Payroll, Ace Payroll). No public API, developer portal, or proprietary software product exists. DPA expanded its footprint in 2023 by merging with Enumerate Chartered Accountants, which broadened its geographic and capability reach. The firm operates a wholly owned subsidiary, David Steele Limited, dedicated to talent management and mentoring.

DPA's revenue model is traditional professional services: fixed-fee accounting packages, hourly billing for bookkeeping at $85+GST/hour, and one-time fees for specialized offerings such as AirBnB tax returns (from $450+GST) and benchmarking survey reports ($250+GST). Go-to-market is sales-led, relying on direct client relationships, free 1-hour discovery sessions, content marketing (blog, email newsletters), local radio advertising, and community sponsorships. The firm is founder-owned, with no disclosed institutional or venture capital backing, and has no funding rounds on record.

Name

DPA

Legal name

dpa Limited

Website

https://dpa.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

DPA is a New Zealand chartered accounting firm offering accounting, advisory, and bookkeeping services across three regional offices (Taupō, Hawke's Bay, Masterton), serving SMBs, agricultural businesses, Māori Trusts, and property investors with Xero cloud accounting expertise.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Taupo

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Accounting Services: Full-service chartered accounting including tax returns, compliance, GST, FBT, PAYE management, and financial reporting delivered on fixed-fee or hourly basis
2. Business Advisory: Strategic advisory services including business coaching, mentoring, strategic planning, cashflow forecasting, and independent directorship
3. Bookkeeping & Administration: Payroll management, debtor/creditor management, bank reconciliation, and admin support at $85+GST per hour with packaged options
4. Specialized Services: Short-term rental tax returns (AirBnB), livestock advisory, benchmarking surveys, employer documentation kits

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

DPA (dpa Limited) is a New Zealand chartered accounting firm providing tax compliance (GST, FBT, PAYE, tax returns), business advisory (strategic planning, company formation, independent directorship, Māori Trusts advisory), and bookkeeping services to small-to-medium businesses, farmers, Māori Trusts, and individuals across the North Island through offices in Taupō, Masterton, and Hawke's Bay. Specialized offerings include AirBnB short-term rental tax returns, benchmarking surveys, and an employer documentation compliance kit.

Product overview

DPA is a New Zealand chartered accounting firm operating as a single unified practice offering accounting, advisory, and bookkeeping services. The core offering consists of three main service pillars: Accounting Services (tax preparation, compliance, business structures), Business Advisory Services (strategic planning, company formation, Māori Trusts, professional management), and Bookkeeping Services (Payroll Pro, Book Balancer, and Admin Allstar packages). These services are delivered through regional offices in Taupō, Hawke's Bay, and Masterton, supported by technology integrations with Xero and MYOB accounting software, a Client Portal powered by Suitefiles, and Xero training sessions. Additional specialized offerings include benchmarking surveys and an Employer Documentation Kit for compliance support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Accounting Services Core chartered accounting services covering tax return preparation, GST/FBT/PAYE compliance, business structure advice, IRD audit support, and cashflow forecasting. Delivered on fixed-fee pricing with tax-agent filing extensions to 31 March and payment to 7 April. Targets New Zealand SMBs, farmers, and individuals across the North Island.
• Business Advisory Services Strategic advisory encompassing company formation, financial and growth planning, business coaching and mentoring, cashflow forecasting, independent directorship, strategic planning, negotiations, business valuations, due diligence, and sales/merger support. For SMBs, primary-sector clients, Māori entities, and individuals.
• Bookkeeping Services Professional bookkeeping and administration services covering payroll management, PAYE returns, ACC agent services, debtor/creditor management, bank reconciliation, and general administration support. Charged at $85+GST per hour with optional bundled packages. For SMBs needing reliable back-office financial administration.
• Māori Trusts Advisory Specialized advisory for Māori Trusts and Incorporations covering meetings, financial accounts, taxation, office procedures, IT, HR, MACA, grants, Māori Land Court support, and owner communication. Led by Director Angela Clark with 30+ years of experience.
• AirBnB Short-Term Rental Tax Returns Flat-fee specialized tax return service for short-term rental property owners: AirBnB Weekend Warrior ($450 individual / $495 joint + GST) and AirBnB Homestay ($1,100 individual/joint + GST). Addresses mixed-use asset rules, GST on rentals, and Bright-Line test compliance.
• Benchmarking Survey Reports Business performance comparison reports benchmarking client results against industry peers using data from the New Zealand Business Benchmarking Survey (University of Waikato Management Research Centre in partnership with MYOB NZ). Priced at $250+GST per report.
• Employer Documentation Kit Compliance toolkit containing checklists, forms, and letters to help New Zealand employers comply with the Employment Relations Act 2000 and Holidays Act 2003. Includes a USB with editable documentation templates.
• Xero Training Sessions Free training sessions for DPA clients covering Xero topics including bank reconciliation, balance troubleshooting, BNZ business visa transfers, Projects feature, and phone app usage.

Quantifiable outcome

• Tax extension to 31 March filing / 7 April payment for clients
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and supporting.

• XerocoreTechnology or IntegrationDPA is a Xero Platinum Partner and certified practice. They provide Xero setup, training, and ongoing support to clients, and use Xero as their primary accounting software platform.
• David Steele LimitedcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional management division of dpa dedicated to mentoring and managing talent, headed by David Steele and Jade Putt.
• The Key to Life Charitable TrustminorOthersDPA is a proud sponsor of The Key to Life Charitable Trust, which aims to change how New Zealanders think about mental health and suicide prevention. The trust operates The Nutters Club radio programme.
• Enumerate Chartered AccountantscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnumerate Chartered Accountants merged with dpa, expanding the firm's capabilities and geographic presence across New Zealand.
• SuiteFilessupportingTechnology or IntegrationDocument storage software used for the client portal, enabling clients to access financial documents and upload files securely.
• CAANZ (Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand)coreOthersProfessional body membership providing credentialing and professional standards. David Steele is a Fellow and Chartered Member of the Institute of Directors.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• BDO New Zealand: Mid-tier accounting and advisory firm with strong agribusiness practice across NZ regions, competing for the same rural and SMB compliance/advisory work.
• RSM New Zealand: National chartered accounting and advisory firm serving SMBs with tax, compliance and business advisory, overlapping DPA's core services.
• Findex / Crowe New Zealand: Large trans-Tasman accounting and advisory group serving SMB and rural clients across NZ regions, directly overlapping DPA's compliance and advisory offering at greater scale.
• Baker Tilly Staples Rodway: National NZ chartered accounting and business advisory network serving SMBs and agribusiness, offering the same tax, compliance and advisory services as DPA.

Emerging players

• Beany: NZ-founded online accounting service for small businesses built on Xero, competing with DPA for cloud-savvy SMB compliance clients on a fixed-fee model.
• Hnry: NZ digital tax and accounting service for sole traders and tradies, overlapping DPA's self-employed/tradie tax-compliance segment via automation.

Direct peers

• Moore Markhams New Zealand: Regional NZ chartered accounting firms providing tax, compliance and rural/business advisory to SMBs, closely mirroring DPA's model and client base.
• GRA (Gilligan Rowe & Associates): NZ chartered accountants specializing in property investors, trusts and SMB tax, closely matching DPA's property/AirBnB and trust advisory niches.
• Bellingham Wallace: NZ chartered accounting and advisory firm serving SMBs with compliance, bookkeeping and strategic advisory, directly comparable to DPA's service pillars.
• CooperAitken: Regional Waikato-based chartered accountants specializing in farming and rural business clients, directly overlapping DPA's agricultural accounting niche and geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/DPALtd

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about DPA