How it works
This calculator shows your take-home pay for the 2026-27 tax year for a New Zealand tax resident employee on the main tax code M. Rates and thresholds come from Inland Revenue (IRD), and the results match the IRD PAYE tables from April 2026.
How PAYE works in New Zealand
- Income tax rates: 10.5% on the first $15,600, 17.5% from $15,601 to $53,500, 30% from $53,501 to $78,100, 33% from $78,101 to $180,000, and 39% above $180,000. These bands have not changed since 1 April 2025.
- ACC earners levy: 1.75% (including GST) of your earnings up to the maximum of $156,641 for 2026-27, so the most you pay is $2,741.22. It is collected through PAYE.
- KiwiSaver: your own contribution is a percentage of gross pay. The rates you can choose are 3.5%, 4%, 6%, 8% or 10% (the minimum rose from 3% to 3.5% on 1 April 2026).
- Student loan: 12 cents for every dollar you earn above the repayment threshold of $24,128 a year.
Worked example: $75,000 salary with 3.5% KiwiSaver
PAYE = 10.5% × $15,600 + 17.5% × $37,900 + 30% × $21,500 = $14,720.50
- ACC earners levy: 1.75% × $75,000 = $1,312.50
- KiwiSaver: 3.5% × $75,000 = $2,625
- Take-home pay: $75,000 − $14,720.50 − $1,312.50 − $2,625 = $56,342 a year, about $4,695 a month
- With a student loan, 12% × ($75,000 − $24,128) = $6,104.64 more is deducted, leaving $50,237.36
New Zealand has no Medicare-style levy and no separate health tax, so ACC is the only levy on top of income tax. On $78,000 without KiwiSaver, PAYE plus ACC is $16,985.50, which is $326.64 a week and matches the IRD weekly table for a $1,500 pay.
What this calculator leaves out
It assumes one job on tax code M (no secondary income, which is taxed with different codes), no tailored tax code and no extra PAYE. The Independent Earner Tax Credit (ME code), Working for Families, FamilyBoost, bonuses and allowances are not modelled. Student loan repayments are taken from all gross pay above the annual threshold, whereas payroll applies the threshold to each pay period, so a payslip can differ slightly. Your employer’s KiwiSaver contribution is shown as a note and not as a deduction.