Money, tax and family support tools NZ

Gross salary or wages are not the amount received after deductions. A take-home estimate can include progressive income tax and the ACC earners’ levy, then separately show selected employee KiwiSaver contributions and student-loan deductions. Tax codes, secondary income, bonuses, irregular hours and payroll rounding can make an actual payslip different.

Hourly-to-salary and salary-to-hourly tools compare gross equivalents before deductions. Use realistic paid hours and the correct number of pay periods: weekly, fortnightly and calendar-month figures are not interchangeable. Average Daily Pay is a Holidays Act calculation with its own qualifying gross-earnings and whole-or-part-day inputs.

GST calculations add or extract the tax component from an entered amount; they do not decide whether a supply is taxable, deductible or correctly invoiced. KiwiSaver projections depend on contribution, fee and return assumptions, while payroll contributions affect current take-home pay differently from a projected investment balance.

Use the tax year shown on each calculator and compare results with current Inland Revenue or ACC information. These tools provide general estimates rather than tax returns, payroll processing, legal interpretations or personalised financial advice.

A refund estimate compares final income-tax liability with total income tax already paid. The result depends on complete annual income, permitted expenses, tax-credit eligibility and adjustments that may not appear on a payslip. ACC, KiwiSaver and student-loan deductions are not extra income tax paid.

Inland Revenue issues the official assessment and may already hold salary, wage and investment information. Check the detailed income summary in myIR before confirming an assessment or return, especially when you had several employers or more than one type of income.

Best Start supports eligible families during a child’s first three years. The child’s birth date, annual family income and Paid Parental Leave timing can all change the estimated payment, especially after the income-testing change from 1 April 2026.

A Best Start estimate does not calculate the other Working for Families tax credits or decide residency, principal-caregiver and shared-care requirements. Use it to understand one payment, then check the complete entitlement and family-income information with Inland Revenue or Work and Income.