Skip links

What is income tax?

Why do you pay income tax?

When and how do you pay income tax?

How much income tax do you pay?

What if you don't pay the right amount of income tax?

Personal tax summary

Tax returns

Summary of earnings

Rebates

Refunds

Nominated person

Glossary

 

Personal tax summary

Important:

  • If you request a personal tax summary (PTS) and it shows you have more tax to pay, you must pay that amount.
  • If you just want to know how much you've earned during the year, or want to see if you're due a refund, get a summary of earnings and use the personal tax summary calculator.

    Then if you find out that you're due a refund, you can request a PTS.

What's a PTS?

A PTS shows your income and the amount of tax your employer has paid to us for the income year, letting you know if you:

  • are due a refund
  • need to pay more tax.

You can request a PTS by:

You should receive it within 10 working days.

What do you do with your PTS?

  • Check that all the information on your PTS is correct.
  • Make changes and confirm your PTS by:
    • logging into your online services account, or
    • calling us on the number shown on the PTS, or
    • writing changes directly on the PTS and sending it back to us.
  • Pay any amount owing by the due date - we'll send you a reminder letter before it's due to be paid.
  • If you're due a refund, check that your bank account details are listed on the PTS - if not, fill out the direct credit form (attached to your PTS) and return it to us with your PTS.
  • Call us to confirm the refund shown if it's $200 or more - if you don't, we can't pay it to you.

If your PTS shows a refund of less than $200 we'll automatically pay it within 30 days.

Note:
Refunds are usually direct credited to your bank account.

Will you automatically get sent a PTS?

If you've paid the right amount of tax during the income year we won't automatically send you a PTS.

How will this affect you?

Check out Real lives to see John's story - he's still at school and needs to claim a tax credit (formerly rebate) for his part-time job.

^ Top of page
 

For more info on government services go to newzealand.govt.nz

© Copyright 2010 Inland Revenue


Change backgrounds? :