April 2026 Update

Hi all,

Welcome to the 2027 financial tax year!

Questionnaire

Our 2026 Client Questionnaire is now available on our website. As requested by many clients, we will no longer email it annually - unless you ask us to.

We encourage you to use it if you find it helpful as a prompt to ensure you have included all relevant information and documentation, to allow us to complete your year-end accounts and tax returns.

There is no change to any of our other processes - we will still be in touch directly to request your year-end information.

If you have any questions about what’s required, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Tax Payments

The 2025 terminal tax payment was due on 7 April 2026. If you missed this deadline, please contact Michael as soon as possible to discuss your options before making any payment directly to the IRD.

Upcoming key dates:

• 20 April 2026: Dividend withholding tax due for dividends to 31 March 2026

• 7 May 2026: Final 2026 provisional tax instalment (March balance date taxpayers)

• 7 May 2026: GST due for periods ending 31 March 2026 (all filing frequencies)

• 6 June 2026: FBT returns due for year ending 31 March 2026

• 15 June 2026: Final date for 2025 income tax payments via Tax Management New Zealand

Payment notices will be sent over the next two weeks.

If you are experiencing difficulty making payments, please let us know. Options may include tax pooling through Tax Management New Zealand or arranging a payment plan with the IRD.

Kiwisaver

From 1 April 2026, the default KiwiSaver contribution rate increased to 3.5% for both employees and employers. Please ensure your payroll calculations are updated accordingly.

Kiwisaver temporary rate reduction

Employees can apply to temporarily reduce their contribution rate to 3% for a period of 3 to 12 months. After 12 months, contributions will automatically return to the default rate. Employees may request this as many times as they wish.

Employers may choose to match this temporary reduction.

Minimum wage increases

From 1 April 2026:

• Adult minimum wage: $23.95 per hour

• Starting-out and training wage: $19.16 per hour

Crypto-Asset Reporting

From 1 April 2026, New Zealand-based crypto-asset service providers must collect and report customer information, including identity details and tax residency.

What this means for users:

You may be required to provide details such as your name, address, IRD number, and tax residency. Penalties may apply for failing to provide accurate information.

The first reporting period runs from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027, with reporting due by 30 June 2027.

IRD Collections

The IRD has increased its debt recovery activity. Where tax debt remains unpaid and there has been no communication, stronger enforcement actions (including potential wind-ups) may be initiated.

We strongly recommend contacting us early if you have outstanding tax obligations. The IRD is generally more open to instalment arrangements when communication is proactive.

Tax Purchases (Tax Pooling)

The IRD has extended tax pooling options to eligible income tax debt for the 2023 and 2024 tax years, provided certain criteria are met (e.g. no overdue GST/PAYE and all returns filed).

This may allow you to settle tax debt through Tax Management New Zealand without incurring IRD interest and penalties.

If you would like to explore this option, please get in touch.

Please contact us if there’s anything else we can assist with.

Michael, Anna and the team

Michael: Michael.Paton@naca.co.nz 021 595 811

Anna: Anna.Paton@naca.co.nz 021 595 112

www.nightingalepaton.co.nz