New Zealand Backpackers

New Zealand Tax Numbers

Last Updated on Wednesday, 18 March 2009 09:27

Advice - New Zealand Backpacking Advice

How do I apply for a New Zealand Tax Number

1. To work in New Zealand you must be a citizen of New Zealand or Australia or have a work permit or appropriate visa. If you are intending to work in New Zealand you should obtain a work permit along with any tourist visas you may need depending on which country you are from.
2. In New Zealand a Tax Number is commonly referred to as a "IRD Number"
3. It is not essential that you have a Tax number immediately when you start work as you will be given a temporary number by your employer until your tax number is allocated. This normally takes between 5 - 10 working days. You will however be taxed at a higher rate. The amount of extra tax you will pay will often be less than paying for a mail service to obtain a IRD number before you start work.
4. You will need a street address and not a P.O. Box address to apply for a tax number. Most backpacker hostels will be only to glad to let you use their address for this purpose. Feed back on mail services is a waste of time. Many Backpackers have reported to us mail being lost and directed to the wrong address. 9 times out of 10 backpackers don't stay in one town long enough for a service to be of any use and Auckland is like any other city so move on and go see the New Zealand you expected to see.

• You need to complete a IR595 application form , This can be completed online HERE. You then need to print this form and send to one of the following address.
• Inland Revenue
  Northern Processing Centre
  PO Box 1454
  Hamilton
  North Island

Or

• Inland Revenue
  Southern Processing Centre
  PO Box 3752
  Christchurch
  South Island

• In about 5 - 10 days you will receive your Tax Number (IRD Number) by post. Which you then give to your employer if you have already started working.

How To Claim My New Zealand Tax Back.

Don't bother. The New Zealand Tax Dept are not as forth coming with returning tax to people leaving the country as is England or Ireland. Most of the time the amount of tax they will refund if pitiful compared with the amount of time and effort required to claim it back. However if you still want try and claim your tax back the following is how you go about it.tax back.

 Before you even start make sure you have the following information before you got to your local tax office. Sorry we are not able to link you direct to the form, but our helpful friends at the Inland Revenue keep changing the link location. When linking to a form press CTRL F and type in the New Zealand Tax form you require eg. "IR50".

1.  Complete pages 1,2,3 and 6 of a " IR3" Tax form for the correct "Tax Year" which you can get online here .
2. Complete a refund application form "IR50" which you can get online here .
3. Take along a photocopy of your departing airline ticket. Clearly showing your date of departure from New Zealand.
4. A Earnings Certificate / Letter or Last Pay Slip from your employer.

Once you have all your information, take it to the nearest New Zealand Tax Office in your town. "Where's That" I hear you say !. Unfortunately The Inland Revenue Department have made it plainly difficult to locate them physically on their web site, and I guess like most big organizations they prefer not to have to deal with you in person. However you can call the New Zealand Tax Department on one of their free phone 0800 number to find out the nearest tax office near you. For New Zealand Tax Numbers click Here. When you call them, remind them that you are only calling because their web site failed to show a list of Tax office address's. All of the main cities in New Zealand have a Tax office and your Hostel proprietor (If They Pay Tax) will no doubt know where to go in your current area.