Moving to New Zealand from the UK: your take-home pay
A New Zealand employer has given you a salary figure and you want to know exactly what hits your bank account. 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 an employer quotes you is the gross figure for the year. Two deductions come out before you’re paid:
- PAYE income tax, calculated on New Zealand’s progressive tax bands and taken automatically each payday.
- ACC earners’ levy at 1.75% of your income (up to a cap), which funds injury cover.
That’s usually it when you first arrive — which is why your take-home can be a bit higher than calculators built for long-settled residents suggest.
Settling in: the practical bits
- Apply for an IRD number once you have a NZ address and visa — it’s quick and avoids the 45% no-number tax rate.
- Pick a tax code on the IR330 form your employer gives you — code M for a single main job.
- KiwiSaver is a choice, not automatic, while you’re on a temporary visa. You can join once you’re eligible.
Want to add KiwiSaver or compare salaries? Use the full NZ PAYE calculator, or see moving to New Zealand for the general 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.