How to Use myIR: NZ Inland Revenue Online Account Guide

myIR is Inland Revenue’s secure online portal where New Zealanders can manage their tax affairs — from viewing income tax assessments to filing GST returns to checking student loan balances. This guide covers the main tasks you can do in myIR and how to do them.

Setting Up Your myIR Account

What You Need Before You Start

• Your IRD number (find it on letters or statements from IRD, or on income details from your employer)
• Your name
• A valid email address you have immediate access to
• A mobile phone for two-factor authentication (recommended)

Step-by-Step Account Creation

1. Go to ird.govt.nz
2. Click Register
3. Choose Register a personal myIR account
4. Enter your name, email address and phone number, and choose a web name and user ID
5. Choose how you want IRD to contact you (email or mobile) and the purpose of your account
6. Create a password of 12 to 255 characters (IRD suggests combining four uncommon words)
7. If you already have an IRD number, ask for it to be added to your account, then activate access by text message or by calling IRD
8. Set up two-step verification using email, a passkey, an authenticator app or text message

I Don’t Know My IRD Number

If you don’t have your IRD number, you can find it on:

• Any letter from Inland Revenue
• Income details from your employer
• Statements from Inland Revenue
• A tax return from a previous year

If you genuinely cannot find it, use IRD’s ‘Find my IRD number’ tool at ird.govt.nz, or call IRD on 0800 227 774 (personal tax).

Linking Multiple Accounts

If you have both personal and business (sole trader, company director) tax obligations, you can switch between accounts within a single myIR login. Once an account is linked, it is listed on your myIR home page and you select it from there.

Navigating myIR — What Each Section Does

Once logged in, the myIR dashboard shows your tax accounts. Here’s what each section covers:

Task 1: Responding to an Automatic Tax Assessment

Every year between May and July, IRD issues automatic income tax assessments to most PAYE earners. This is IRD’s calculation of whether you’ve overpaid or underpaid tax based on information they already hold (employer summaries, bank interest, etc.).

How to Check Your Assessment

1. Log in to myIR
2. Go to Income tax
3. Select Returns and transactions, then the Returns tab
4. Select View or amend return under the period you want (for example, 2025–26)
5. Review the result, which shows whether you are due a refund, have tax to pay, or have paid the right amount

If the Assessment is Correct

If the details are right, there is nothing more to do; IRD asks you to tell it only if a detail is wrong. IRD pays any refund into the bank account it has on file when it processes your assessment, and your bank should then credit it within a few days.

If the Assessment is Wrong

In myIR, select ‘View or amend return’ under the period you want, then ‘Amend return’ under ‘I want to…’. Common reasons to update:

• Missing income (e.g., bank interest from an account IRD doesn’t have on file)
• Missing expenses you are eligible to claim (e.g., the cost of a tax agent completing your return)
• Incorrect employer income (contact your employer for a corrected employer summary)
• You have income IRD doesn’t know about (rental, business, overseas): if it is more than $200 before tax, you need to file an IR3 instead

How to change it: IRD asks you to tell it about any missing or incorrect information on your assessment. In myIR, select ‘Returns and transactions’ on your income tax account, then ‘Returns’, then ‘View or amend return’.

Task 2: Filing an IR3 Income Tax Return

If you have untaxed income such as rental, self-employment or overseas income (more than $200 before tax that IRD has not been told about), you must file an IR3 return. myIR handles this entirely online.

Who Needs to File an IR3

• Self-employed / sole traders
• Rental property owners
• People with overseas income
• Those with more than $200 (before tax) of income that IRD has not been told about
• Anyone with overdue returns, or registered for GST (unless an IR56 taxpayer)

How to File Your IR3 in myIR

1. In your income tax account, select Returns and transactions, then the Returns tab
2. Select the relevant tax year (e.g., 2025–26)
3. myIR pre-populates available data — check each section:
   • Wages and salary: pre-loaded from employer summaries — verify against your payslips
   • Interest income: IRD includes details it holds of income that had tax deducted, so check it against bank statements
   • KiwiSaver: PIE income from your KiwiSaver fund pre-populates from late May
4. Add any income IRD doesn’t know about: rental income, business income, overseas income
5. Enter allowable deductions: rental expenses, home office, vehicle costs
6. Claim the IETC if you are eligible (you give the number of months you qualified). Donation tax credits are claimed separately by submitting your donation receipts
7. Review the calculated result
8. Click Submit

IRD then sends you a notice of assessment to confirm it has your return, showing any refund or tax to pay.

Filing deadline: 7 July, unless you have an extension of time. A tax agent’s clients can get an extension of up to 31 March the following year.

For full detail on the IR3 process, see How to File an NZ Tax Return (IR3).

Task 3: Paying Tax Through myIR

Paying Directly in myIR

1. Go to the tax account you want to pay (Income tax, GST, etc.)
2. Click Make a payment
3. Enter the amount
4. Choose payment method:
   • Credit or debit card (the bank charges a 1.42% convenience fee on any credit or debit card payment)
   • Bank account (a direct debit from your account, which needs a direct debit agreement first)

Paying by Bank Transfer (No Surcharge)

Use your bank’s internet banking to pay IRD directly. You need:

Reference: Use your IRD number as the reference (for a direct credit, enter it in the particulars field and leave the reference blank). Without it, IRD cannot allocate the payment to your account. If a payment is not showing on your account after 15 working days, contact IRD.

Setting Up a Direct Debit

For regular payments, you can set up an ongoing direct debit in myIR:

1. Set up a direct debit agreement first: in myIR go to Manage my profile, then I want to…, Manage payment channels and Set up a direct debit authority
2. Then go to I want to…, Payments, refunds and returns, More payment options and Prepay a future obligation
3. Select Set up a new direct debit next to the account, confirm your bank account, and set the payment frequency, amount and start date
4. After you confirm permission, IRD debits the amounts and dates you set, up to the amount owing

IRD does not let a direct debit pay more than the amount owing or, in most cases, run past 1 year.

Task 4: Filing a GST Return

If your business is GST-registered, you can file your GST returns through myIR, or through accounting software that files directly with IRD.

GST Return Due Dates

How to File GST in myIR

1. In myIR, select Returns and transactions next to the GST account
2. Select the File return link next to the period you are filing for
3. Enter:
   • Total sales (GST-inclusive income for the period)
   • GST on sales (total sales ÷ 1.15 × 0.15 if all sales include GST)
   • Total purchases (GST-inclusive expenses for the period)
   • GST on purchases (total purchases ÷ 1.15 × 0.15 if all purchases include GST)
4. myIR calculates your GST refund or payment
5. Submit

If you owe GST, pay by the same date the return is due. Use the bank transfer method above with payment code GST to avoid credit card surcharges.

GST registration threshold: you must register if your turnover was at least $60,000 in the last 12 months, or you expect it to be at least $60,000 in the next 12 months. Register in myIR: go to I want to…, then choose Register for Goods and services tax (GST) under Registration, application and enrolment.

Task 5: Managing Your Student Loan via myIR

What You Can See

• Current loan balance (approximate — updated periodically)
• Repayment history
• Whether you’re on an auto-repayment arrangement
• A ‘Travelling overseas’ section with your travel dates, and a calculator that shows if or when your status will change

If You Are Moving Overseas

If you are in New Zealand for 31 days or less in a 184-day period, you count as overseas-based and your student loan moves to an overseas-based repayment schedule. You must:

1. Keep your travel details up to date in the ‘Travelling overseas’ section under ‘I want to…’ in your myIR student loan account
2. Make overseas-based repayments, which are based on the size of your loan balance and due on 30 September and 31 March
3. If you become overseas-based, your loan stops being interest-free from the day after you left, and a missed payment may bring late payment interest

Applying for a Repayment Holiday

If you are moving overseas, you can apply through myIR for a temporary repayment suspension (a break from overseas-based repayments) for up to 12 months, before you leave or within 6 months of leaving:

1. Student loan account → More → Travelling overseas → Apply for a repayment suspension
2. Give an alternate contact person who lives in New Zealand and is 18 or older
3. IRD sends you a notice of assessment 183 days after you leave New Zealand, showing $0.00 owing for the suspension period

Task 6: Updating Personal Details

Keep your details current to ensure assessments, letters, and refunds reach you correctly.

Updating Your Address

1. I want to… → Manage names and addresses → Addresses tab → Change address
2. Enter your new address
3. Submit

This updates IRD’s records. If your address is wrong, assessments and correspondence go to the old address and you may miss important notices.

Updating Your Refund Bank Account

1. I want to… → Manage refund bank accounts → Add your bank account number
2. Enter your bank account number in the format xx-xxxx-xxxxxxx-xx
3. Add the name on the account, select the account types it applies to and submit the change

Important: Your myIR bank account is where IRD pays GST refunds (a refund under $5 is carried forward, and you can ask for one to be transferred to another period or account type). Ensure it’s current before you expect a refund.

Updating Contact Details (Email, Phone)

1. Manage my profile → Profile tab
2. Select Update email address or Update phone number, then submit
3. Two-step verification codes go to the method you set up (email, text message or authenticator app), so keep those details current

Task 7: KiwiSaver via myIR

myIR does not show your full KiwiSaver investment balance — that’s held by your KiwiSaver provider, not IRD. What myIR shows is:

• Contributions IRD has processed (employer and employee amounts)
• Contribution rate on file with IRD (your elected employee rate)
• Government contributions (the KiwiSaver government contribution)
• Your KiwiSaver scheme (provider name)

Changing Your KiwiSaver Contribution Rate

To change how much you contribute from your salary (3.5%, 4%, 6%, 8%, or 10% — the minimum rose from 3% to 3.5% on 1 April 2026; a temporary reduction back to 3% for 3–12 months can be applied for):

1. myIR → KiwiSaver account → More → Change KiwiSaver Contribution Rate
2. Choose 3.5%, 4%, 6%, 8% or 10%, complete the form and submit
3. IRD notifies your employer of your new rate, and they apply it from the next pay they calculate

Applying for a Savings Suspension (Contribution Holiday)

If you want to pause KiwiSaver contributions temporarily:

1. myIR → KiwiSaver account panel on the homepage → Apply for a savings suspension
2. You need to have contributed and been a member for 12 months, or give evidence of financial hardship for an early suspension
3. Suspension lasts 3–12 months and can be renewed

Government Contribution

The annual KiwiSaver government contribution of up to $260.72 (25 cents per dollar you contribute, from 1 July 2025 — previously 50 cents per dollar up to $521.43) is applied for by your KiwiSaver provider after 30 June; it may show in your account by the end of July or take until the end of August. It’s only available to members aged 16 to 65 with taxable income of $180,000 or less, and the minimum age dropped from 18 to 16. myIR will show whether you qualified based on your contributions.

Task 8: Working for Families (WFF) via myIR

Viewing Your Entitlements

myIR shows your current Working for Families entitlement calculation based on IRD’s records. Check this under Working for Families in the main menu.

Updating Family Details

If your family situation changes (new child, change of custody, relationship change), update via:

1. In your Working for Families account, select Family and income details
2. Select Update income and enter your income estimates, or add or end a partner if your relationship has changed

Weekly or fortnightly WFF payments are based on your estimate of your family income for the tax year. IRD works out your actual entitlement after the year ends: if you were paid too little you get the rest as a refund, and if you were paid too much you repay the difference.

Choosing Payment Method

WFF can be paid:

• Periodically (fortnightly or weekly) — calculated on your income estimate
• As a lump sum at year end — calculated on actual income

For most families, periodic payments help with cash flow, but lump sum means you know the exact entitlement.

Task 9: Sending Messages to IRD

Rather than calling IRD (and potentially waiting), you can send secure messages directly through myIR:

1. Go to Messages (envelope icon at top of page)
2. Click New message
3. Select the topic (income tax, GST, general enquiry, etc.)
4. Type your message
5. Attach documents if relevant (e.g., bank statements, receipts)
6. Send

IRD’s published timeframe for web messages is 15 working days. For urgent matters, call 0800 227 774 (personal income tax, Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm).

When to message vs call:

• Routine queries and requests for information → message; to formally dispute an assessment, attach a completed notice of proposed adjustment (NOPA) to a message
• Urgent issues → call (instalment arrangements can be requested in myIR or by phone)

Task 10: Granting Access to an Accountant or Tax Agent

If you want your accountant to manage your tax affairs in myIR:

1. Give your accountant or tax agent written authority to act for you
2. Your agent then links to your account in myIR (Intermediary centre, then Client maintenance)
3. They need your name, IRD number and contact details, and the tax types to link
4. Tax agents, bookkeepers and PAYE intermediaries get access automatically once linked; payroll bureaus and other representatives need your approval
5. Where approval is needed, IRD sends you an email or letter to approve the request

To remove access, your agent can remove the link in myIR under Client maintenance.

Task 11: Employer Obligations (PAYE Filing) in myIR

If you employ staff in NZ, you file employment information each payday (through myIR or payroll software) and pay deductions monthly or twice a month.

Filing Employment Information (EI)

Employment information tells IRD each employee’s pay and the deductions you made from it, such as PAYE and KiwiSaver:

1. Employer → File employment information
2. Select the pay period
3. Enter each employee’s IRD number, gross pay, PAYE withheld, and KiwiSaver contributions
4. Submit within 2 working days of each payday

Payday filing: NZ uses payday filing — you file employment information within 2 working days of each payday electronically (10 working days for paper). Employers with combined annual PAYE and ESCT under $50,000 can instead choose to file by paper, within 10 working days of each payday (or of the 15th or month end). The limit is based on the dollars deducted, not employee headcount.

Paying PAYE

Employers with gross annual PAYE and ESCT under $500,000 pay deductions monthly by the 20th of the following month; larger employers pay twice a month. Pay via bank transfer using payment code EMP, or set up a direct debit.

Security Best Practices

• Use two-step verification: IRD requires it for all myIR users. It prevents unauthorised access even if your password is compromised.
• Use a unique, strong password — don’t reuse your myIR password for anything else
• Log out after each session — especially on shared or public computers
• Don’t share your login details — even with family members or employers. Grant proper agent access instead.
• Beware phishing emails — IRD will never ask for your myIR password by email. If you receive an email asking you to click a link and log in, go directly to ird.govt.nz instead.

If you suspect your account has been compromised, change your password immediately and call IRD on 0800 227 774.

Common myIR Problems and Solutions

Problem: I’m Locked Out of My Account

After multiple failed login attempts, myIR locks the account temporarily.

Solution: Wait 15 minutes for the lockout to clear (it applies after 3 failed login attempts), then try again. If you’ve forgotten your password, use the Forgot password link — IRD sends a reset link to your registered email.

If you can’t access your registered email, call IRD’s myIR support line on 0800 227 770 if you can’t get into your account.

Problem: My IRD Number Doesn’t Work When Creating an Account

Check that you’re entering your IRD number correctly — it has 9 digits; if yours has 8, add a 0 before it. If you’ve recently arrived in NZ and applied for an IRD number, IRD aims to process an IRD number application within 10 working days (12 for paper applications), though it may take longer.

Problem: My Assessment Shows Income I Don’t Recognise

Contact the income source first (your employer or bank) to verify the figures. If the income is genuinely incorrect on the employer’s side, they need to file a corrected employer summary. If it’s a bank issue, contact the bank. Then update your assessment via myIR.

Problem: I Filed the Wrong Amount — Can I Amend?

Yes. You can amend a filed return in myIR:

• Income tax return (IR3): Returns tab → View or amend return → Amend return
• GST returns can be fixed in myIR, in your next return, or by asking IRD to change them

If you can’t amend a return in myIR, send IRD a message asking it to make the change, and don’t send a replacement return.

Problem: My Refund Hasn’t Arrived

1. Check that your refund bank account is correct in myIR (I want to… → Manage refund bank accounts)
2. Check that IRD has issued your assessment and that it shows a refund
3. Wait up to 10 weeks (IRD’s target for income tax refunds)
4. If still not received, send a message via myIR or call 0800 227 774

Key Deadlines Summary

Related Guides

• How to File an NZ Tax Return (IR3)
• NZ Tax Refund — How to Claim
• Provisional Tax Explained
• GST for Small Businesses NZ
• NZ Tax Codes Explained
• Filing Home