[Red Devil]

We're hoping folk can answer this based on previous experience... is the following correct?

Reside in NZ for 183 days or more before being eligible to apply for 'Working for Families Tax Credits'?

Require a 'Residence Permit' before applying for the above?

We currently have the 'Residence Visa' & Returning Resident's Visa' stickers in our passports, but having spoken to someone at the weekend about Family Tax Credits they happened to mention the above... just after clarification before we start completing forms, etc.

Thanks :nice1

[Kanga]

I was going to reply that NZ PRs are entitled from landing but thought I should double check that as it's been 2 1/2 yrs since we entered NZ and I found the following information on the IRD website ( http://www.ird.govt.nz/wff-tax-credits/entitlement/who-qualifies/eligibility/ ), which says, in summary, that if you're caring for a NZ PR child then you're entitled. The quote below is about the residency eligibility, there are 3 other criteria (dependant child (*generally* under 18), principal child carer and also over 16 (parent that is!). If you have kids with PR I think you're entitled from landing in NZ- we were in 2007.

HTH.


Residency
You must meet at least one of the following residency requirements:


You are both a New Zealand resident and a New Zealand tax resident and have been in New Zealand continuously for at least 12 months at any time.
You are caring for a child who is both present and resident in New Zealand.



Note
If you and your children are in New Zealand unlawfully or hold only a temporary permit or visa, you are not a New Zealand resident for Working for Families Tax Credits purposes. If you're not sure whether you meet the residency requirements, please call us on 0800 227 773. You can call us:

Monday to Friday from 8am to 8pm, and
Saturday from 9am to 1pm.

[Red Devil]

Thanks Kanga... I've just checked our passports and sure enough we have the 'Residence Permit' stamps obtained from NZ Immigration when we entered the country in early March of this year.

I'm somewhat confused though, as Inland Revenue have just returned my call and confirmed that we need to reside in NZ for 12 months before claiming for 'Working for Families Tax Credits'... sounds like the rules are changing by the minute!

Has anyone else recently applied and what timescale did you apply from first entering NZ?

Thanks :nice1

[Jon-and-Lou]

We've applied (although have asked for the years lump sum, rather than trying to work out the partial year earning etc).

I understood that if you have a child whom has PR, then you can claim. We arrived in August, and are claiming from then, until the end of the tax year.

[James 1077]

It should be noted that if you get tax credits then you can't take advantage of the transitional resident rules on foreign income.

So, if you have cash / house rental / investments offshore, then you need to work out if you are better off not having to pay NZ tax on the income or getting the tax credits as, unfortunately, you can't have both!

[Red Devil]

... thanks Jon-and-Lou but I'm confused.com even more!

I wonder whether we're best completing the paperwork and seeing what happens, afterall we have PR.

[Belmont Babes]

We had to have PR and have been here for 12 months before we could claim.

[Jon-and-Lou]

Do you have residency? Do you have a job? and you have young (under 16?) children? Yes - then you can apply.

[peebles16]

I think tbh it seems to be inconsistently applied and best to go by individual applications and the response you get :yes Simon, I'll flick you an email giving examples why cos don't really want to share on open forum :o

Karenx

[dharder]

I called them three times about this (the 12 month rule), and pretty much got three different answers. In the end, they let us claim with the explanation that my OH is a Kiwi, and there is no residency requirement for returning Kiwis.

I think it entirely depends on who you talk to...

Daniela

[Kanga]

Hang on, the quote I've given above is straight from the NZ IRD website TODAY. It's pretty clear that you only have to meet ONE of the residence eligibility criteria above- so if you arrive in NZ and have a child with NZ PR you should claim (although you'll need to be main carer).

I'm not sure how it can be interpreted by IRD staff any other way, given the wording is so clear.

[Red Devil]

... flippin' nora, grows arms and legs by the minute this one!

I've spoken to IRD on 2 separate occasions today and each of the 2 people gave me 2 different answers... 1 saying you can't claim until after 183 days and the other saying you can't claim until after 12 months :roll

[Kanga]

... flippin' nora, grows arms and legs by the minute this one!

I've spoken to IRD on 2 separate occasions today and each of the 2 people gave me 2 different answers... 1 saying you can't claim until after 183 days and the other saying you can't claim until after 12 months :roll

Neither of which corellate with the IRD website ...

Honestly, every expat I knew claimed it from day 1 and received it. Perhaps NZ IRD trains its staff as well as NZIS :exit

[vixxann]

I put in our claim as soon as we got our PR (we were already here in NZ) and we got it straight away :clap

[nickydwuk]

Hi Simon, we claimed for Mark & Luke pretty much as soon as we had their IRD numbers. It does state that if you have a child who has PR then you can claim immediately. We did and got it straight away (well almost, the wheels of beurocracy (sp) do turn slow). Put your application in using the criteria that Harrison has PR and Clare is working - should be no problem.