GoingIn2011

Silly old me - expected that my tax would be automatically adjusted through a tax code. No, apparently, in NZ, you have to claim overpaid tax back.

I came in Sep 2011, halfway through the tax year, meaning that I had paid way too much tax.

I filled out an assessment just this month, two years from the end of the 2012 tax year, and it literally takes two minutes on-line.

Shock of all shocks - I am getting almost $4k back. I spat my tea out - I cannot believe it.

A word to anyone coming over - be sure to file a tax rebate after the end of the first financial year you are over here. On this basis, you are almost certain to get something back. As I say, I naively assumed that the rebate would be automatically processed - but apparently not. I did it through a tax refund company called Mytax which charges a small fee.

Thanks

MrsFychan

you can do it for free yourself, just need to go to the IRD website.

what you going to be spending your refund on?

GoingIn2011

Paying off emigration debt - yes, we still have some. Money over here doesn't go as far as one may first think...

Yes, I would recommend doing it yourself. Having gone through said company, i realised that I would have saved quite a bit more doing it myself. I wasnt expecting anything so did it as a punt... darn my pessimism... hence the post here - I dont want others to make the same mistake of not thinking they have anything owing. I suspect I am the only one who is this daft but just in case...

Snap Shot

Excellent. $4,000 tax rebate

I got my 'woo hoo' tax rebate last year for a couple of hundred dollars. Every little helps. I referred to one of my stints of temporary work regarding the income tax that I'd paid.

For the uninitiated, 'Woo hoo' is the name of the tax rebate company here in NZ because that's the sound most people make when they get their rebate. 'I was so suprised I just nearly spat out my tea' might not make a good advertising slogan. No offence OP !! The company, 'Woo hoo' is in itself some sort of taxation specialist. They've gone all customer friendly. Not least encouraging people to claim by asking them what they'd spend their rebate on. Income tax payers are only getting their own money back, but still.

I'll go to the ird website next time round as it's free because they don't charge a fee. There's lots of income tax rebate for a fee companies around just now as the company, 'woo hoo' are popular or at least well advertised.

TommyLuck

Yeah - I'm due a $3.5k tax rebate after only working 7 months of the tax year, with my tax code taking the higher % echelon of income tax.

Most of it is already spent on flights to the USA for Easter next year.

$850 RTN pp Auckland to LA with Virgin Australia (via Aus) - I kid you not!!

j19fmm

I just tried to find out if I could get a rebate and it said I wasn't able to submit an IR3 (???) online???? Been here since June 2013, working since August 2013 employed by Min Ed. Got any ideas? Oh I'd sooooo love a rebate!

GoingIn2011

I did mine through Mytax. It was easy as. Although, in retrospect, I wish I had done it myself. If I had bothered to read the fee structure and realised that I hadn't already received it through adjustments in salary, then I probably would have. I ended up paying several hundreds of dollars out of my windfall to mytax. They charge 15% capped at 500 dollars... If you're not gonna do anything otherwise tho' then you may as well go through such a rebate company. Took me 2 minutes to fill in details...

Thanks
GI2011

mickey_d

You can fill it in online, but you have to download, print & submit by post.

Persephone

There's a sticky at the top of the page about this

If you work a part year when you first arrive in NZ and are on PAYE then it is likely you'll be due a refund, as each pay is taxed as if you've worked the full year. But this first one does involve filling in an IR3[tax return].
It isn't that arduous but can be a bit long winded to do manually: add B to C and take away E+F etc Very simple to do online.

Once you have worked a full tax year and your finances are simple then you can do a Personal Tax Summary to claim any refunds due. It's less involved than an IR3
I end up claiming a refund every year due to a mixture of moving to NZ, changing jobs and working for two employers at the same time.
I would never use a tax refund company-if you can emigrate to the other side of the world, you can do this yourself. Though I understand why you did

Were you due any tax back from the UK when you left and have you claimed it?

P

MOSO

J19, I'm also a teacher and as we're paid through PAYE, it's unlikely they've made a mistake.

It's easy to check via IRD website. When you register online, you have to phone them to activate your account and they will tell you how to do it (basically I had to click on refund, fill out personal tax form online and it told me instantly). It all takes less than 5 mins and it's FREE Why pay commission to MyTax/Woohoo when it's so simple? They're taking your money for nothing

Unfortunately mine was more of a whoops than a woohoo!

j19fmm

Thanks, I am registered and tried to fill it in online but wouldn't let me. Don't need to say, but if we're being paid through PAYE and there shouldn't be a mistake...how come yours is a whoops?

MOSO

Phone them and ask. There was no delay and they were really helpful.

My whoops was not to do with my earnings. That was correct.

j19fmm

Will give it a go if I get time tomorrow, thanks MOSO

Persephone

If you phone them they might be able to add it online I know that I had to phone them to do that last year when I had to go back to filling in an IR3 because of rental income.

Just to clarify, if you're on PAYE then you're not usually due a refund because of a mistake, it's because of the way PAYE is calculated. It's why your tax deduction doesn't increase as the tax year progresses, it's the same each pay.
For the same reason, you may be due a refund from the UK when you emigrate and have worked for only part of a year

There may be different PAYE systems that take account of how much of the year you work and calculate your tax accordingly, I don't know the answer to this!

But definitely trying ringing the IRD, they are helpful.

LauraNotts

Just posting here to say thanks for this thread. I'd seen the sticky but assumed it referred to claiming back from HMRC when you leave the UK which I'd done so ignored it. I used a company mainly because I didn't want a huge amount of hassle. Will keep y'all posted.