Moving to New Zealand: what will you actually take home?

If a New Zealand employer has quoted you a salary, enter it below to see exactly what lands in your bank account after New Zealand tax. No KiwiSaver or student loan is assumed — that’s usually the right starting point when you’re new here.

Your results

Your estimated take-home pay

$1,323.99a week

$68,848 a year · effective tax rate 23.5%

Pay breakdown a week
Gross pay	$1,730.76
PAYE income tax	−$376.49
ACC earners’ levy	−$30.28
Take-home pay	$1,323.99

Take-home across pay cycles

weekly

$1,324

fortnightly

$2,648

monthly

$5,737

annual

$68,848

Estimate for the 2026/27 tax year. Your actual pay may vary with your tax code and rounding.

What comes out of a New Zealand salary

New Zealand keeps payday deductions simpler than many countries. From the salary you were offered, only two things normally come out before you’re paid:

PAYE income tax — worked out on New Zealand’s progressive tax bands and deducted automatically each pay.
ACC earners’ levy — 1.75% of your income (up to a cap), which pays for cover if you’re injured.

KiwiSaver and student loan repayments are optional or don’t apply to most new arrivals, so your real take-home is often a little higher than a calculator set up for long-term residents would suggest.

What to sort out when you arrive

Get an IRD number — your tax number. Without it you’re taxed at 45% until you provide it.
Complete an IR330 — the form that sets your tax code (usually M).
Open a New Zealand bank account — your wages are paid here, usually weekly, fortnightly or monthly.

Coming from a specific country?

We have pages tailored to the most common moves to New Zealand:

Or use the full PAYE calculator to add KiwiSaver and other options.

New Zealand pay terms, explained

New here? These are the words you’ll see on a New Zealand payslip or job offer.

Gross pay: Your full salary or wage before anything is taken out — the figure an employer usually quotes you.
Take-home pay: What actually lands in your bank account after all deductions. Also called your net pay.
PAYE: ‘Pay As You Earn’ — the income tax your employer deducts from each pay and sends to Inland Revenue for you. You don’t file or pay it separately.
Inland Revenue (IRD): New Zealand’s tax department — the equivalent of HMRC or the ATO. ‘IRD’ is how most people refer to it.
IRD number: Your personal tax number. You give it to your employer so you’re taxed correctly. Without it you’re taxed at a higher 45% ‘no-notification’ rate.
Tax code: A short code (like M or ME) that tells your employer how much tax to deduct. Most people with one main job use M. You set it on an IR330 form.
ACC earners’ levy: A small compulsory levy (1.75% of your income, up to a cap) collected with your PAYE. It funds ACC, which covers the cost of injuries for everyone in New Zealand.
KiwiSaver: New Zealand’s voluntary workplace savings scheme for retirement. If you join, you choose a contribution rate (from 3%) that comes out of your pay, and your employer contributes too. It’s optional, not automatic.
Student loan: If you have a New Zealand student loan, 12% of income over a threshold is deducted through your pay. Loans from other countries are not collected here.
IETC: The Independent Earner Tax Credit — a small tax credit (up to $520 a year) for middle-income earners who don’t receive certain benefits.

Common questions

An NZ employer offered me a salary — how much will I take home?

New Zealand salaries are usually quoted as a gross annual figure. From it, your employer deducts PAYE income tax and the ACC earners’ levy (1.75%) before you’re paid. Enter the figure you were quoted above to see your weekly, fortnightly and monthly take-home pay.

Do I need an IRD number before I start work?

Yes. An IRD number is your New Zealand tax number. Apply for one as soon as you can after arriving — until you give it to your employer, you’re taxed at a much higher ‘no-notification’ rate of 45%, so it’s worth sorting early.

Will KiwiSaver be taken out of my pay?

KiwiSaver is New Zealand’s workplace savings scheme. If you’re on a temporary work visa you generally can’t join until you become a resident, so nothing is deducted. Once you’re eligible you can opt in and choose a contribution rate. This calculator assumes no KiwiSaver by default — switch it on to see the effect.

Do I pay a student loan deduction?

Student loan repayments only apply to New Zealand student loans. If you’re arriving from overseas you almost certainly don’t have one, so nothing is deducted. We leave it off by default for that reason.

What tax code should I use?

Most people use tax code M for their main job. Your employer gives you an IR330 form to complete when you start. If you’re unsure, M is the usual choice for a single main income.