New Zealand PAYE calculator: salary after tax

Enter your salary before deductions in New Zealand dollars and choose its period. Use the cash salary from your employment agreement, excluding employer KiwiSaver contributions. Choose your employee KiwiSaver rate and whether you meet the independent earner tax credit conditions for all 12 months.

The result starts with annualised gross salary, subtracts income tax and the ACC earners’ levy, then subtracts your selected KiwiSaver contribution. It shows the annual amount left and its monthly, weekly and fortnightly averages. Use those averages alongside your regular bills when preparing a budget.

This estimate covers one regular job for a full-year New Zealand tax resident with no other income. A move between Auckland and Wellington does not change the national salary tax rates used here. A move into or out of New Zealand during the tax year needs a different calculation.

Employers deduct tax from salary before paying you. The amount withheld depends on your earnings and the tax code information you give them. PAYE deductions account for income tax and the ACC earners’ levy; your employee KiwiSaver contribution is a separate deduction.

The figures above estimate a full year of regular salary. Your actual pay can differ because of payroll rounding, a different tax code or deductions not included here. Student loan repayments and child support, for example, can reduce your bank deposit further.

Compare the individual deduction amounts as well as the final total when checking a payslip. Confirm that the pay period matches: a weekly average should not be compared directly with a fortnightly deposit. Use annual totals if you want to compare the full year on the same basis.

Income tax rates increase in steps, but each rate applies only to the slice of income within its band. A salary reaching a higher band does not put every dollar on that higher rate. The band breakdown above shows how the income tax is calculated before any independent earner tax credit.

The 2026/27 rates used here are 10.5%, 17.5%, 30%, 33% and 39%. The first $15,600 is taxed at 10.5%. The next band runs up to $53,500, followed by thresholds of $78,100 and $180,000.

An employee KiwiSaver contribution does not reduce the salary subject to these income tax bands. Increasing your contribution reduces the cash you receive without reducing the income tax shown. The result keeps the two deductions separate to make that difference clear.

The ACC earners’ levy is deducted alongside income tax. The levy for the tax year from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027 is 1.75% of earnings, including GST, up to annual earnings of $156,641. The published maximum annual levy is $2,741.22.

The earnings cap matters when comparing higher salaries. Once annual earnings reach the cap, extra salary does not increase this particular levy. Income tax and KiwiSaver can still change, so the cap does not mean that all deductions stop increasing.

On a $70,000 annual salary, the levy is $1,225: $70,000 multiplied by 1.75%. It appears as its own row in the result. Do not subtract it a second time from the take-home amount, because that result already allows for it.

The standard minimum employee contribution rate is 3.5% from 1 April 2026. The form also offers 4%, 6%, 8% and 10%. These contributions are calculated on gross salary. They reduce the amount paid to you now, while putting money into your KiwiSaver account.

Use one rate that applies throughout the tax year. The 3% option is for an approved temporary reduction covering every payday in the year. The no-contribution option applies only when no employee deductions are due throughout the year, such as for a non-member or a full-year savings suspension.

To compare two contribution rates, keep your salary and tax-credit selection unchanged. Note the difference in annual take-home pay, then divide it by 12 to understand the monthly effect. This shows the change in your employee contributions, not the full amount that will reach your retirement account.

Employer and government contributions are outside the take-home result. An offer described as total remuneration can include employer contributions, so check the cash salary separately before entering an amount. This estimate does not calculate employer contribution tax or the value of your entire employment package.

The independent earner tax credit, or IETC, can reduce income tax for an eligible New Zealand tax resident. The maximum is $520 a year for qualifying income from $24,000 to $66,000. Above $66,000, it reduces by 13 cents for each extra dollar and reaches zero at $70,000.

Income alone does not establish eligibility. Working for Families received by you or your partner can rule it out. Receiving an income-tested benefit, New Zealand Superannuation, a Veteran’s Pension or an overseas equivalent can also affect entitlement.

Read the conditions shown beside the option before selecting eligible. This calculation assumes those conditions are met for all 12 months and applies the income limits automatically. A change in your eligibility during the year needs a month-by-month assessment that is not included here.

This example uses a full-year resident with one regular job, no other income and a 3.5% employee KiwiSaver contribution throughout 2026/27. No IETC is included, and there are no student loan or child support deductions. All amounts are in New Zealand dollars.

The take-home amount averages $4,425.38 a month or $1,021.24 a week. Income tax is $1,638 on the first $15,600, $6,632.50 on the next $37,900 and $4,950 on the remaining $16,500. Those three amounts total $13,220.50. The example illustrates the deductions; enter your own salary and circumstances above for your result.

Calculate your current salary first, then enter the proposed salary with the same KiwiSaver rate and tax-credit selection. Compare the annual take-home amounts rather than subtracting a single tax percentage from the raise. Income bands, credit reductions and the ACC cap can affect different parts of the increase.

The monthly and weekly averages help you compare offers even when employers use different payment schedules. They do not predict each individual deposit, particularly if your earnings or deductions change during the year.

Consider employer benefits and your regular costs alongside the cash result. A role with higher take-home pay may also involve more expensive travel or housing. Use the comparison page with a dated exchange rate to put an overseas offer and your New Zealand take-home pay in one currency.