NZ Tax Refund 2026 — How to Claim, How Much, and When to Expect It

In 2025, 2.37 million customers received an income tax refund, and IRD pays them automatically into the bank account it has on file. A refund means you paid more tax during the year than your income required. Claiming through myIR takes minutes; unclaimed refunds are money left on the table.

Why You Might Be Owed a Refund

PAYE is deducted from your pay during the year using your tax code. If you were taxed at too high a rate, you’ve overpaid and you’re owed a refund.

Common Reasons for a Tax Refund

How to Check If You’re Owed a Refund

Step 1: Log in to myIR

Go to ird.govt.nz and click Log in to myIR. If you don’t have an account, see our myIR setup guide.

Step 2: Go to Income Tax Assessments

• Open your income tax account
• Select Returns and transactions, then the Returns tab
• You’ll see a list of periods

Step 3: Open the Relevant Assessment

Select View or amend return under the tax year you want to check (e.g., 2024–25 covers 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025).

The assessment shows:

• Total income (wages, interest, dividends) as IRD has recorded
• Tax withheld (PAYE deducted by employers)
• Tax owed on that income
• Result: Refund (if you overpaid) or amount to pay (if you underpaid)

Step 4: Check or Update

If the assessment is correct and shows a refund:

• There is nothing to confirm: IRD asks you to tell it only if a detail is wrong
• IRD pays the refund into the bank account it has on file when it processes your assessment, and your bank should credit it within a few days

If the assessment is incorrect (income is missing or wrong, deductions need adding):

• Tell IRD about the missing or incorrect information, in myIR under View or amend return

IRD issues automatic assessments from the last weekend in May into July.

Registering Your Bank Account for Refunds

IRD pays refunds only into a bank account it has on record for you. If IRD has no bank account details for you, it will let you know it needs one.

To register:

1. In myIR, select the I want to… tab, then Manage refund bank accounts
2. Select Add your bank account number
3. Enter your account number as bank, branch, account and suffix, for example 10-1234-00123456-0000 (IRD adds any missing leading zeros)
4. Add the name on the account, choose the account types it is for, then submit the change

You choose which account types each refund bank account is used for, so check the one used for income tax is your current, active account.

How Much Will I Get? — Worked Examples

Example 1: Changed jobs mid-year

Sarah worked at Company A from April to August ($45,000 annualised, correctly taxed). She then worked at Company B from September onwards ($50,000 annualised).

Each employer calculated PAYE as if she worked there all year. Her combined income for the year is about $47,900 (five months at $45,000 a year plus seven months at $50,000 a year). PAYE at each job was worked out on that job’s own pay rate.

Likely refund: little or none, because both jobs’ pay rates and her combined income fall in the same tax brackets.

Example 2: Multiple jobs at the same time

James works two part-time jobs. Main job: $28,000/year. Second job: $18,000/year. Combined: $46,000.

• Main job uses code M: correctly taxed on $28,000
• Second job uses code S (17.5%): the right code for his combined income of $46,000

If James used code SB (10.5%) on his second job instead of S:

• Second job income taxed at 10.5% instead of the correct 17.5%
• He will owe tax at year end, not receive a refund

If James over-estimated and used code ST (33%) on his second job:

• Over-withheld all year
• Refund: approximately $2,790 (the extra 15.5% on $18,000)

Example 3: Charitable donations

Emma donated $2,400 to approved donee organisations during the year.

Donation tax credit: one-third × $2,400 = $800 refund

Emma needs to claim this by submitting her receipts in myIR: it is not automatic. She uploads her donation receipts, and IRD processes the claim after the tax year ends on 31 March.

Example 4: Independent Earner Tax Credit (IETC)

Tom earned $36,000 from a single job. He used tax code M, not ME. The IETC is worth up to $520/year for eligible earners in the $24,000–$70,000 range (full credit up to $66,000, then abating to zero at $70,000).

Tom can get the IETC after the tax year ends: IRD sends an income tax assessment, and if he did not receive the right amount he might get a refund.

Refund: up to $520 (depends on how much of the year he was eligible).

Claiming Donation Tax Credits

You get one-third back on money donated to approved organisations, limited to one-third of your taxable income.

What Qualifies

A donation of money to an organisation on IRD’s approved donee list, which includes charities, religious organisations, schools and kindergartens. Check ird.govt.nz for the donee list.

What Doesn’t Qualify

• Raffle tickets, merchandise, or goods received in exchange
• Donations to overseas charities (unless the NZ entity is specifically approved)
• Non-monetary gifts, and donations made by forgiving debt or as part of a will

How to Claim

1. In myIR, select your donation tax credit account (if it is not listed, register for it under I want to…)
2. Select Enter donation tax credit receipts, then Add a receipt
3. Fill in the details of each receipt: the organisation, the type of donation, the receipt date and the amount
4. Attach each receipt (a PDF, or a photo or scan if you cannot get a PDF) and submit
5. IRD cannot process the claim until the tax year ends on 31 March, and pays the credit as a refund

Important: You need receipts from each donee organisation. If you donate over the phone, you need a receipt from the organisation.

Claiming Prior-Year Refunds (Up to 4 Years Back)

You can claim refunds going back four years. As of late 2026, you can claim for:

• 2025–26 (1 April 2025 – 31 March 2026)
• 2024–25
• 2023–24
• 2022–23

How to Claim Prior Years

1. myIR → Income tax → Returns and transactions → Returns tab → File now for the period you want
2. Complete as you would for the current year
3. Submit your return

If you’ve never filed a prior-year return and have been PAYE-only, your refund for that year may already be sitting in an automatic assessment you haven’t looked at yet. Check myIR for all years going back to 2022–23 (the oldest year still within the 4-year claim window as of late 2026).

What Happens if You Owe Tax Instead of a Refund

If your assessment shows you owe tax:

• This happens when you’ve underpaid PAYE, for example from using the wrong tax code or having income that was not taxed correctly
• Payment is due by the date shown in myIR (for most people 7 February after the tax year ends, or 7 April if they have a tax agent)
• Use-of-money interest is charged from the day after the due date if the tax is not paid (not on amounts under $100)

Payment Options

• myIR direct payment (credit/debit card: the bank charges a convenience fee)
• Bank transfer to 03-0049-0001100-27 with your IRD number in the particulars field and the payment code INC followed by the period-ending date (DDMMYYYY)
• Contact IRD to arrange a payment plan if you can’t pay in full immediately

Don’t ignore a tax bill, because IRD can add penalties and interest to overdue amounts. A payment plan (instalment arrangement) agreed with IRD reduces the penalties you pay, while paying in instalments without an agreed arrangement can still bring penalties and interest at the full rate.

Avoiding Third-Party Tax Refund Services

Some companies offer to claim your NZ tax refund for a fee.

You do not need these services. IRD pays any refund into the bank account it holds for you when it processes your assessment, and you can check your own assessment in myIR. These companies take a percentage of money that is entirely yours.

If you used a refund service in the past, you may have given them authority to act on your behalf. To cancel:

• myIR → I want to… → Manage associated accounts/parties → View or edit your relationships → Modify relationship, then remove any intermediary you didn’t intend to authorise

Overseas New Zealanders — Claiming Your Refund

If you worked in NZ and then moved overseas, you can still claim your NZ tax refund from anywhere in the world.

1. Log in to myIR online (works from any country)
2. Check your automatic assessment
3. Ensure a valid bank account is registered in myIR so IRD can pay your refund

Note: If you’re a non-resident for NZ tax purposes (generally after more than 325 days away from NZ with no permanent place of abode here), different rules apply. Your NZ-sourced income may be taxed differently, for example through non-resident withholding tax on NZ interest and dividends. If this applies, consult a tax agent or see IRD’s guidance on non-residents.

Tax Refund Timeframes

If your refund hasn’t arrived after 10 weeks, check your bank account details in myIR and send a message to IRD via the secure messaging function.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if IRD has assessed me yet?

Log in to myIR → Income tax → Returns and transactions → Returns. If there’s an assessment for the most recent tax year (the one that ended on the last 31 March) or an earlier one, it will appear here. IRD typically issues automatic assessments between May and July each year. If nothing has appeared by August, contact IRD.

My refund is $0 but I think I should get money back. What do I do?

This usually means IRD’s records match your actual tax liability, no over or underpayment. To check: compare the income shown in the assessment to your actual income, and verify the tax withheld matches your employer payslips. If you have unclaimed donation credits, submit your receipts in myIR. If you think you missed the IETC, check it on the assessment, since IRD says you can also get it after the end of the tax year.

Can I get a refund if I’m also receiving Working for Families?

Yes, your income tax refund and WFF entitlements are calculated separately. However, if your actual income was lower than estimated for WFF purposes, you may be owed more Working for Families at year end, which IRD first uses against any income tax you owe for that year and then refunds to your bank account. If higher, you may owe some WFF back.

What if I haven’t filed my tax return for several years?

File your overdue returns as soon as possible via myIR and pay any tax you owe. Late filing and payment penalties can sometimes be waived, for example for situations beyond your control, a genuine error or incorrect advice from IRD, but you must file the return and pay any tax you owe before you apply. Call IRD on 0800 227 774 if you’re unsure how to proceed.

Is my tax refund taxable income?

A tax refund is a return of tax you already paid. Interest that IRD pays you on an overpayment is gross income, though, so it counts as income for tax.

Related Guides

• How to Use myIR — Complete Guide
• NZ Tax Codes Explained
• How to File an IR3 Tax Return
• Charitable Donation Tax Credits NZ
• Independent Earner Tax Credit (IETC)
• Filing Home