Covered on this page:

Your income and taxes

Income is money you earn from your job, running your own business, investments like bank savings and company shares, and regularly selling things for a profit. It doesn’t include most gifts or winning Lotto.

If you have a regular income, you should be taxed on it. Taxes are collected in Aotearoa by Inland Revenue (IR) and pay for things that keep our society running, such as paved roads, schools, healthcare, and more.

Your IRD number

Your IRD number is used to keep track of all your tax and entitlements (such as tax credits and Child Support) and ensures you’re paying or receiving the right amount. If you’re earning money in Aotearoa, you will need to request an IRD number if you don’t already have one. Find out more about applying for an IRD number on the IR website.

You’ll also be able to log into IR’s system, myIR, once you have an IRD number. This lets you see a summary of your earnings so far, and you can manage and pay your taxes from here if you need to.

Paying taxes

A percentage of your earnings will be taxed depending on your tax code and how much you make. This applies regardless of how you get your income, so keep the following in mind.