Moving to New Zealand from Australia: your take-home pay
Got a New Zealand job offer and want to know what actually lands in your bank? Enter the gross salary you were quoted to see your New Zealand take-home pay after tax.
Your results
Your estimated take-home pay
$1,386.73a week
$72,110 a year · effective tax rate 24.1%
| Gross pay | $1,826.92 |
|---|---|
| PAYE income tax | −$408.22 |
| ACC earners’ levy | −$31.97 |
| Take-home pay | $1,386.73 |
Take-home across pay cycles
weekly
$1,387
fortnightly
$2,773
monthly
$6,009
annual
$72,110
Estimate for the 2026/27 tax year. Your actual pay may vary with your tax code and rounding.
How New Zealand take-home pay works
The salary you’re quoted is the gross annual figure. Before you’re paid, just two things normally come out:
- PAYE income tax — deducted automatically each pay, based on New Zealand’s tax bands.
- ACC earners’ levy — 1.75% of your income (up to a cap), covering you if you’re injured.
The practical bits when you arrive
- Get an IRD number — quick to apply for, and it avoids the 45% no-number tax rate.
- Choose your tax code on the IR330 form — usually M for a single main job.
- KiwiSaver is optional — you can join and pick a rate if you want to save while you work.
To add KiwiSaver or compare offers, use the full NZ PAYE calculator, or read the general moving to New Zealand guide.
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
What will I take home on a New Zealand salary?
Your offer is a gross annual figure. PAYE income tax and the 1.75% ACC earners’ levy are deducted before you’re paid. Enter the amount above to see your weekly, fortnightly and monthly take-home pay.
Can I start work in New Zealand straight away?
Australian citizens and permanent residents can live and work in New Zealand indefinitely under the Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement, without applying for a visa. You’ll still need a New Zealand IRD number to be taxed correctly.
Does superannuation come out like it does in Australia?
New Zealand’s equivalent is KiwiSaver, but it works differently — it’s opt-in and you choose your own contribution rate, rather than a compulsory employer super guarantee. This calculator assumes no KiwiSaver by default; switch it on to see the effect.
Do I need an IRD number?
Yes. It’s New Zealand’s tax number. Until you give it to your employer you’re taxed at the higher ‘no-notification’ rate of 45%, so apply as soon as you arrive.