Inland Revenue

Inland Revenue collects revenue for the government and distributes payments to customers through a number of social support programmes. They are responsible for:

• advising government, with The Treasury, on tax policy and some social policy measures
• collecting tax payments, child support and student loans
• distributing payments such as tax refunds, working for families tax credits, child support and paid parental leave
• administering KiwiSaver.

How is it funded?

Inland Revenue is funded by central government.

How can I get their help?

Inland Revenue administers and distributes a variety of payments to help parents and families including:

Working for families tax credits — a payment for families with children to help with day-to-day living costs. It’s made up of four types of payments and you may qualify for one or more, depending on your personal situation. To find out more about working for families tax credits and how to apply visit the website or call Inland Revenue’s INFOexpress line on 0800 257 477.

Child support — parents not living with their children pay child support to help financially support them. The person caring for the child (custodian) applies for child support. Usually this is a parent but can also be a family member or an agency like Child Youth and Family. Inland Revenue uses a standard formula to work out how much the parent not looking after the child (paying parent) has to pay and divide it into monthly amounts. Inland Revenue then collects the money from the paying parent and passes it onto the custodian, or the government if the custodian is receiving a sole parent benefit like the DPB. For more information on child support visit the website or call 0800 221 221.

Paid parental leave — an entitlement paid to eligible working mothers and adoptive parents when they take time off work to care for their newborn or newly adopted child. Paid parental leave can be paid up to a maximum of 14 weeks and can be transferred to a spouse or partner as long as they also qualify. Inland Revenue distributes paid parental leave payments on behalf of the Department of Labour. To find out more visit the Employment Relations section of the Department of Labour website or ring the Department of Labour on 0800 20 90 20.

How much does it cost?

All services offered by Inland Revenue are free including advisory services.

Link to Inland Revenue website

www.ird.govt.nz

The Inland Revenue website is a good starting point for learning about, understanding and managing your obligations and entitlements. The website contains information about working for families tax credits, child support, paid parental leave, tax, rebates, and student loans. The website also gives you access to:

• interactive calculators and tools, including child support payments, working for families tax credits entitlements, and paid parental leave

• registrations, account information, and other online services

• forms and guides in easy-to-download PDF format.