Rates Changelog
This calculator runs on the 2026–27 tax year, 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027, last verified 30 July 2026. The ACC earners' levy is 1.75%, the KiwiSaver default is 3.5%, and income tax brackets are unchanged since 31 July 2024.
Current: 2026–27
In effect from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027. These are the figures every page on this site renders from.
| Figure | Value | Changed |
|---|---|---|
| Income tax brackets | 10.5% to 39% | 31 July 2024 |
| ACC earners' levy | 1.75% | 1 April 2026 |
| ACC maximum earnings | $156,641 | 1 April 2026 |
| ACC maximum levy | $2,741.22 | 1 April 2026 |
| KiwiSaver default employee rate | 3.5% | 1 April 2026 |
| KiwiSaver employer contribution | 3.5% | 1 April 2026 |
| Student loan threshold | $24,128 | 1 April 2026 |
| Student loan rate | 12% | Unchanged |
| Adult minimum wage | $23.95 | 1 April 2026 |
| KiwiSaver government contribution | $260.72 | 1 July 2025 |
Already published: 2027–28 and beyond
These are not forecasts. Both changes are published and dated, and this calculator switches to them on the day they take effect rather than before.
| From | What changes | New figure |
|---|---|---|
| 1 April 2027 | ACC earners' levy rate | 1.83% |
| 1 April 2027 | ACC maximum earnings | $160,244 |
| 1 April 2027 | ACC maximum levy | $2,932.47 |
| 1 April 2028 | KiwiSaver employee minimum and employer rate | 4% |
The ACC levy has risen every year since 2022. On the maximum earnings figure, the move from 1.75% to 1.83% adds $191.25 a year for the highest earners.
ACC earners' levy, prior years
The levy is the figure that moves most often, and the one most likely to be stale on a page that was written once and left alone.
| Tax year | Rate | Maximum earnings | Maximum levy |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2027–28 (from 1 April 2027) | 1.83% | $160,244 | $2,932.47 |
| 2026–27 (current) | 1.75% | $156,641 | $2,741.22 |
| 2025–26 | 1.67% | $152,790 | $2,551.59 |
| 2024–25 | 1.6% | $142,283 | $2,276.52 |
| 2023–24 | 1.53% | $139,384 | $2,132.57 |
| 2022–23 | 1.46% | $136,544 | $1,993.54 |
Superseded figures still in circulation
These were correct once. Pages that quote them today are describing rules that no longer apply, and they are common enough that it is worth naming them:
- KiwiSaver government contribution of $521.43. Halved to $260.72 on 1 July 2025, when the $180,000 income cap was also introduced.
- A compulsory employer contribution of 3%. It is now 3.5%, and rises to 4% on 1 April 2028.
- An independent earner tax credit band of $24,000 to $48,000. That band was repealed. The upper threshold is now $70,000, with abatement starting at $66,000.
- An ACC earners' levy of 1.67% or 1.60%. Those are the 2025–26 and 2024–25 rates.
How this site handles a rate change
Every statutory figure lives in one file, cited to the Inland Revenue page it came from. On 1 April each source is re-checked, the constants and the tax year label are updated together, and the verification date is stamped.
Several tests are pinned to hand-computed values. When a bracket or a cap moves, those tests fail on purpose, which forces the arithmetic to be recomputed by hand and confirmed before the new figure ships. The full approach is on the methodology page.
Next
- methodologyWhat the engine models, and what it does not
- ACC earners' levyThe rate that changes every April
- the New Zealand tax year1 April to 31 March, and the square-up
- New Zealand tax bracketsUnchanged since 31 July 2024
Common questions
When do New Zealand tax rates change?
The New Zealand tax year runs 1 April to 31 March, and most rates change on 1 April. The KiwiSaver government contribution is the exception. Its year runs 1 July to 30 June, and the 2025 changes to it took effect on 1 July.
What is the ACC earners' levy for 2027?
From 1 April 2027 the levy rises to 1.83%, on maximum earnings of $160,244, giving a maximum levy of $2,932.47. Inland Revenue has already published these figures, so they are known rather than forecast. This calculator uses the current 2026–27 rate until 1 April 2027.
Have New Zealand income tax brackets changed recently?
No. The income tax brackets have been unchanged since 31 July 2024. Everything around them has moved: the ACC earners' levy rises every year, the KiwiSaver rates changed on 1 April 2026, and the government contribution halved on 1 July 2025.
Where these figures come from
2026–27 tax year (1 April 2026 – 31 March 2027). Last verified 30 July 2026.
Related
- methodologyHow these figures are used
- the New Zealand tax yearWhy 1 April is the changeover
- ACC earners' levyThe rate that moves every year
- KiwiSaver contribution ratesChanged 1 April 2026, changing again in 2028