Tax refunds if you arrived in NZ last year
 

Just got my 2011-2012 tax refund through:thumbsup: Thought I'd issue a reminder to those who arrived last year that they may be entitled to an income tax refund.
If you have only worked part of a tax year then you may be due a tax refund. You would have to apply for it by filling in an IR3 [full tax return] rather than the easier route you can use once you've been resident the whole year. There are companies that can claim refunds on your behalf but it's easy enough to do yourself especially once you've been here a whole year. In my opinion the tax refund companies are really a bit of a scam.
The IR3 is a bit long winded but not that hard once you sit down with a calculator and your income and tax records.
http://www.ird.govt.nz/income-tax-in.../end-year/ir3/

I work for 2-3 different employers which is why I get one!

Re: Tax refunds if you arrived in NZ last year
 

And to add to this.... you can claim refunds for child care and charity donations every year :thumbup:

Re: Tax refunds if you arrived in NZ last year
 

Hi Persephone - are you sure you have to do an IR3? I arrived March 2011 - I requested a Personal Tax Summary (PTS) after doing the online calculation just to make sure I didn't OWE, and they have confirmed a $700 refund which should be in my bank in a couple more days.....I don't think you always have to do an IR3?

Re: Tax refunds if you arrived in NZ last year
 

Not an expert so could be wrong of course! Doesn't happen often though:p

I got that info from the IRD website:
Also there is a calculator somewhere on there that tells you to file an IR3 if you were not tax resident for the whole year. If you can claim via the PTS then it is incredibly easy to do so much preferable.
Were you claiming for the 2011-2012 year? If you were then you were resident for the whole tax year so could claim via the PTS.
If it was the 2010-2011 year [so based on your earnings in March 2011] then that makes life easier for you new arrivals as no long winded IR3...:)

Re: Tax refunds if you arrived in NZ last year
 

Part tax year arrival needs an IR3.

Whole tax year as resident doesn't.

Also note that you can do these retrospectively.

Re: Tax refunds if you arrived in NZ last year
 

Well i'll keep schtum - I arrived 10th March 2011 on a WHV (not as resident) so was claiming 11-12 - and they've granted it to me just with a PTS soooo............I'm happy!

Re: Tax refunds if you arrived in NZ last year
 

That fits with what me and BEVS have written. You were a resident for tax purposes for the whole of the 11-12 tax year so no you wouldn't have had to fill in an IR3. Not the same as having the right to reside in NZ indefinitely ie residency-sorry not sure how to phrase this properly!
If you wish to claim a refund for the tax year 2010-2011 [for which you were only resident for tax purposes for 21days] then you will have to fill in an IR3.:)

Re: Tax refunds if you arrived in NZ last year
 

ah! sorry for confusion then! yes of course, resident for tax purposes I was indeed.

Re: Tax refunds if you arrived in NZ last year
 

how long does it take for them to send you a refund?? I sent my paperwork in about 6 weeks ago and haven't heard a dicky bird!

Re: Tax refunds if you arrived in NZ last year
 

I'm still waiting from May!! They are having serious processing issues this year!

Re: Tax refunds if you arrived in NZ last year
 

Mine took about 2 weeks back in June. I did it all online so didn't need to send any paperwork in.
Can't believe you're still waiting from May, you'd have been ahead of me as well:confused:

Re: Tax refunds if you arrived in NZ last year
 

I think that's the key... apply after the 'rush' ( I've done that in previous years and it has always been processed quickly). I'll give them another call today.

Re: Tax refunds if you arrived in NZ last year
 

Yayyyyyyy got mine last week, deffo worth the wait!!

Re: Tax refunds if you arrived in NZ last year
 

I arrived last April and started work an August and got a good whack back! Course no one tells you this - I found out from my kiwi colleague who'd just come back from her OE.

Re: Tax refunds if you arrived in NZ last year
 

I got here last August and just processed mine. Once I was finally able to fill it in online (something wrong with the site I think) they paid up in under 2 weeks. I thought it would be a few hundred but I got a couple of thousand back! Glad I looked into it