[JandM]

I have a friend whose 18-year-old daughter has just spent five months of her gap year working on a huge farm in the South Island. She paid tax on her earnings while she was there. Now she's returning to the UK (I believe she's actually on the way now), she'd like to know what to do to get the extra tax back - thinks it's about $1800. It sounds as if she didn't think about this in time to find out what to do before leaving.

Can anybody tell me a website and/or the appropriate form to fill in, and where to send it? Thank you in advance.:)

[Nick88]

She needs to contact the IRD and get a Tax Summary, that will show any over payment and she can arrange the refund.

How did she manage to over pay? If she had an IRD no. and declared her tax rate when she started work then she should have been paying the right amount?

[Rabbit]

I have a friend whose 18-year-old daughter has just spent five months of her gap year working on a huge farm in the South Island. She paid tax on her earnings while she was there. Now she's returning to the UK (I believe she's actually on the way now), she'd like to know what to do to get the extra tax back - thinks it's about $1800. It sounds as if she didn't think about this in time to find out what to do before leaving.

Can anybody tell me a website and/or the appropriate form to fill in, and where to send it? Thank you in advance.:)

I claimed my NZ tax back after arriving back in the UK, I used the following site: taxrefunds.co.nz with the repayment being made into my NZ bank account which I have retained; I am sure you can do it direct with IRD, but these people fill in all the forms and it was all quite painless for a 12% or so fee.

Rabbit

[IanW99]

I would start at Refund or tax bill? (http://www.ird.govt.nz/income-tax-individual/refund-bill/iit-refund-bill-index.html?id=righttabs)

Ian

[Bozeman]

She needs to contact the IRD and get a Tax Summary, that will show any over payment and she can arrange the refund.

How did she manage to over pay? If she had an IRD no. and declared her tax rate when she started work then she should have been paying the right amount?

I suppose the PAYE withholding would be done on the assumption that the person is earning that salary over the full tax year. If they actually work less than a year this could easily put them in a lower tax bracket and thus there would have been an overpayment of tax.

[JandM]

I would guess that what Bozeman is saying is right. I haven't heard all the ins and outs of it, just the basic state of affairs now.

[eternalkiwi]

IRDs advice is below:

When you leave New Zealand

As you've paid tax at the correct rate while you've been working in New Zealand you shouldn't need to have any more contact with us.

But if you'd like us to work out your tax assessment for you, fill out a Refund application - people leaving New Zealand (IR50) and an Individual income tax return (IR3) and send these to us before you leave New Zealand.

-----------------------------------------

As your daughter spent only 5 months in NZ (and providing she will not be back during the next 7 months) she should still qualify as a non-Tax Resident tax-payer and should fill in an IR3NR.
http://www.ird.govt.nz/resources/4/0/402265804bbe59318347d3bc87554a30/ir3nr-2008.pdf

Or she can complete the IR3 online
http://www.ird.govt.nz/online-services/service-name/services-i/online-ir3-2008.html?id=righttabs

The IR50 refund request can be found here:
http://www.ird.govt.nz/resources/5/5/556ec1004bbe5a118d38ddbc87554a30/ir50.pdf

Shawn

[JandM]

Thank you. I'll pass that on.