billnoted

Hey

I heard it is possible to claim your tax back since you have left NZ and won't be coming back (I have now come over to Australia for my working holiday). Can you? Or should I just wait till the new tax year?

Also before I left the country I got a letter from Kiwi Saver, i must of opted in and never realised. But I have a little money from what went in from the employer I was with for like a month. Some of my money, $1000 from the government and apparently I've also started investing my money in property and I got some from that.

Because I am from the UK I imagine the $1000 from the government is out of the question. But can I withdraw my own money, from kiwi saver? I am led to believe it's like a pension type scheme. I'm no good with investments have no clue on them. But I'm wondering if I should just leave it open for a few years and try to come back to it. See what happens. You never know I mean I got $60 for nothing.

Would I be able to come back to it and withdraw?

Have any one had experience with this? I can't seem to find much on the site.

Thanks.

Bo-Jangles

You can claim the Kiwisaver money back if you leave the country permanently, (after you have been gone for more than 12 months) - EXCEPT if you go to Australia. Because of reciprocal arrangements you can however transfer the balance to an Aussie superannuation scheme.

If you want to keep Kiwisaver going. you can have a holiday from payments or continue to pay voluntary amounts even if you are not working, so that you can receive the Government bonuses.

People should know that you don't actually opt into Kiwisaver; all new employees are automatically put into the scheme regardless and it's your responsibility to opt out if you didn't want to be in it.

All info is on the website or your scheme provider will be able to advise the options available to you.

cappuccino

Were you a permanent resident in New Zealand as I thought only PR could pay into Kiwisaver?

If you are going to claim your tax back then do it yourself via the IRD site as it's very easy. DON'T use those people in the shopping malls as they take a big percentage of whatever you are owed.

billnoted

Do I really have to be out the country for 325 days? It says that on the info on the IRD website. I mean I culd end up back in NZ for a holiday to see my friends will that matter. I cant seem to find anything about filling out a tax claim form, all I see is stuff to find out suff about coming to or leaving NZ.

billnoted

No Im not a permanent resident. I was on a working holiday visa

cappuccino

Well in that case you will get your money back less gvt top up and employer contribution as it was an error that you were a member of Kiwisaver.

MrsFychan

oohh dear, thats a bit naughty

"You can't join KiwiSaver if you're:

holding a temporary, visitor, work or student permit"

taken from http://www.kiwisaver.govt.nz/new/join/who-can/

you need to contact whoever hold your account.

billnoted

Wow really? I know loads of working holiday visa people that have done kiwi saver. All the agencies talk to you about it when you join them, although this one particular agency never with me and I think that is why I am in it. Trying to remember how this happened.

Although if I wasn't supposed to have this open in the first place. And it is possible for me to transfer to my Australian Super, which I can imagine is some automatic online thing (like everything else these days) (im looking into it now) then I think I may have just scored a free $1000

Pom_Chch

I was also signed up to Kiwi Saver whilst on a working holiday visa. Many employers don't actually know you aren't entitled to it and I'm guessing that Kiwi Saver don't know your visa status. I received a letter telling me I now have an account, there's $1000 from the government in there and I have paid $17 in to it. I haven't bothered to contact anyone as the plan is to get perm residency and join it anyway...

Tom1983

Good luck keeping the $17

Might also get a nice fine as well, around $300 to $500 both you and the employer that signed you up to it

How do I know, simple - wife was enrolled onto kiwisaver when she commenced work for CHDB. Soon as she informed them she wasn't a resident, they cancelled her account.

Apparently if you do not inform them within a month that you are not entitled to kiwisaver, they will come down on you. It is your responsibility to inform them whether or not you are entitled to kiwisaver. This is because any new employee is automatically enrolled and the employee must inform the scheme of their eligibility. Failing to do so, may result in the kick start from the government being withdrawn when eligible.

The company should also inform as well, hence all the accredited employers do not allow migrants to join the scheme unless on a skilled migrant visa.

Pom_Chch

Just called Inland Revenue and spoke to a girl who deals with Kiwi Saver. She basically said there's no such thing as fines to employers or employees. She said that if you are enrolled into Kiwi Saver and you are not entitled to it due to visa status then they just invalidate your account. No fines. The letter I received was from back in August and she had no qualms about the length of time it took to call her about it. I explained to her that I will soon be a perm resident (immigration called last week ) and that after the blue stamp is in the passport my new employer can start the contributions. She basically said it's no biggy and essentially my Kiwi Saver account is on hold until I am a perm resident, then is it taken off hold and contributions by me and employer can happen. She also mentioned that the government kick start will not be affected.

billnoted

I very much doubt you'll get a fine. And Im pretty sure that if nobody on the working holiday scheme was allowed into kiwi saver, then the employments agencies would make sure of that - especially if they get fined.

If you cancel the account through kiwi saver and they do the whole why? question then it'll be because of oh I'm on a working holiday. So I imagine the government will just take the $1000 back. And you'll keep your money as it is rightfully your money.

Like I said I never ever knew about kiwi saver until I got this letter after being in the country for nearly 2 years. Maybe I had received other letters that I imagine i just dismissed. The account has been open probably for 1 year and a half.

What Im interested in is seeing if I can transfer this to my austalian super or not now. To see if I keep the $1000 that way or not. If they catch on and I dont at least I'll have have the little bit of money which is right fully mine..

I also saw this on the IRD website, does it mean anything?

If you are in New Zealand for more than 183 days in any 12-month period, you are a New Zealand tax resident from the date of your arrival here. The 183 days do not have to be consecutive and if you are in New Zealand for only part of a day, it will be counted as being a whole day.

Also how do you apply for tax back when you have left NZ I can't seem to find that one?

BEVS

Enrollment is automatic. It is up to the employee to ensure they opt out.
Yes. There are penalties to employers who do not correctly administer Kiwisaver.

Who can and cannot join is at the very beginning of the Kiwi Saver Pack K3. It is the very first sentence.

From HERE

You should perhaps contact Kiwisaver to complete an opt out form. Have the contributions which were taken in error refunded to you and then plonk that $$ into your Auz super.

As you were not eligible to enrol in Kiwisaver in the first place, you are not eligible for the government funded $1000 also. That should be given back & the account voided.
Further, the employer may also be short changed in that they will have maybe also made contributions to a non-eligible account.

You were on a working holiday visa which is to facilitate young people to come and experience the country whilst also being able to have some non-permanent work to help support that. AFIAK you were not tax resident.

From IRD

If you are leaving part way through a tax year then it may be you need to fill in a tax return

The IRD website has a calculator which will tell you if you have overpaid or not.


HTH