IR3G

March 2017

Individual income tax

return guide
2017
Please read page 5 to see if you need to file this return.
Complete and send us your IR3 return by 7 July 2017,
unless you have an extension of time to file or a
non-standard balance date.
The information in this guide is based on current tax laws at
the time of printing.

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2 IR 3 INDIVIDUAL RETURN GUIDE

www.ird.govt.nz
Go to our website for information and to use our services and tools.
•• Log in or register for a myIR to manage your tax and entitlements online.
•• Demonstrations - learn about our services by watching short videos.
•• Get it done online - complete forms and returns, make payments, give us feedback.
•• Work it out - use our calculators, worksheets and tools, for example, to check your tax code, find
filing and payment dates, calculate your student loan repayment.
•• Forms and guides - download our guides and forms.
Forgotten your myIR user ID or password?
Request a reminder of your user ID or reset your password online. You'll need to know your IRD number
and have access to the email address we hold for you.

How to get our forms and guides

You can view copies of all our forms and guides by going to www.ird.govt.nz and selecting "All forms and
guides" from the right-hand menu, or by entering the shoulder number in the search box. You can also
order copies by calling 0800 257 773.

Nominate someone to act on your behalf

You can authorise another person to act on your behalf to help you manage your tax affairs. Get the
information you need at www.ird.govt.nz (search keyword: nominate) or have your IRD number ready
and call 0800 775 247.
Having a nominated person doesn’t change your responsibilities. By law you’re still personally
responsible for your tax obligations.

How to contact us
See page 57 for a list of phone numbers.
www.ird.govt.nz 3

Contents
Page
Do you need to file an IR3 return? 5
Children's exempt income 6
Extension of time 7
Are there any penalties? 7
Income year 7
Using this guide 8
Question
Q1 to 5 Personal information 8
Q6 Business industry classification (BIC) code 8
Q8 Bank account number 9
Q9 Adjustments to your income 9
Q10 Non-residents and transitional residents 9
Your income 11
Q11 Family tax credit from Work and Income 11
Q11A Income with tax deducted 11
Worksheet for ACC earners' levy 13
Q12 Schedular payments 14
Q13 New Zealand interest 15
Q14 New Zealand dividends 17
Q15 Māori authority distributions 18
Q16 Estate or trust income 18
Q17 Overseas income 19
Q18 Partnership income 25
Q19 Look-through company (LTC) income 25
Q21 Shareholder-employee salary 26
Q22 Rents 27
Q23 Self-employed income 27
Q24 Other income 29
Q26 Other expenses and deductions 31
Q28 Net losses brought forward 32
Your tax credits 33
Q30 Independent earner tax credit (IETC) 33
Q31 Excess imputation credits brought forward 35
4 IR 3 INDIVIDUAL RETURN GUIDE

Calculating your tax 36

Tax on taxable income 36
Q32 Tax calculation 38
Excess imputation credits carried forward 39
Student loan 39
Q33 Early payment discount 42
Q34 Refunds and/or transfers 44
Transfers 44
Provisional tax 46
Q35 Provisional tax 46
Initial provisional tax liability 46
Payment options 46
Q36 Foreign rights disclosure 48
Q37 Is your return for a part-year? 48
Q38 Notice of assessment and declaration 49
Paying your tax 49
Your record of payment 50
ACC personal services rehabilitation payments 51
Accident Compensation Act 2001 (ACC) 55
Services you may need 57
Need to speak with us? 57
0800 self-service numbers 57
If you have a complaint about our service 57
Privacy 58
www.ird.govt.nz 5

Do you need to file an IR3 return?

If we've sent you an IR3 return pack, you must complete the return and send it to us by 7 July 2017,
unless you have an extension of time or a non-standard balance date. If you don't need to file a
return but you'd like to talk to someone about your tax situation, you can call us.
Note
To help you work out if you need to file an IR3, go to www.ird.govt.nz and complete the questionnaire
"Work out my income tax filing options" or call us on 0800 377 774.

If you received any other income apart from salary, wages, interest, dividends (see further information
below), and/or taxable Māori authority distributions, you must file an IR3 return. There are some
exceptions. If you received personal service rehabilitation payments and are an ACC client or caregiver
(who received payments from the client or ACC), please read page 51.

Note
If you had a workplace injury your employer may manage these payments instead of ACC. If you
or your caregiver receives these payments, regardless of who makes them, you'll need to read the
information on page 51.

Other income includes:

•• self-employed income (see children's exempt income below)
•• over $200 of schedular payments
•• income derived overseas – calculated taxable income arising from a withdrawal or transfer from
foreign superannuation schemes acquired while a non-resident of New Zealand
•• over $200 in total of:
–– interest derived overseas (if it's had tax deducted or not)
–– dividends of certain Australian resident listed companies and other overseas investments that are
not treated as part of foreign investment funds (FIF) income - see page 20
–– income attributed to you from your portfolio investment entity (PIE) where the income had the
0% rate applied, or where you had tax calculated by your PIE at a rate lower than your correct
prescribed investor rate (PIR) during the year. If you receive dividends from a PIE that is a listed
company and doesn't use your PIR, you may choose whether to include the dividends in your
return. Note the dividends will need to be acknowledged for Working for Families Tax Credits
(WfFTC) and/or Student Loan purposes.
•• FIF income
•• rental income
•• estate, trust or partnership income
•• royalties
•• cash jobs or "under the table" payments
•• income from illegal enterprises
•• income without PAYE deducted, such as shareholder-employee salary or a claim received under a
taxable loss of earnings policy.
6 IR 3 INDIVIDUAL RETURN GUIDE

You'll also need to file an IR3 if you:

•• have losses to claim or brought forward from the previous year
•• have excess imputation credits brought forward from the previous year
•• left or arrived in New Zealand part-way through the year and are required to receive a personal tax
summary (PTS) or file a return
•• are filing a return for a deceased person to the date of death if there is a requirement to file a return
for this income year
•• were declared bankrupt and required to receive a PTS or file a return
•• changed your balance date part-way through the year.

Children's exempt income

Read this information if for the tax year you:
•• were 14 or under, or
•• were 15, 16 or 17 and still attending school*, or
•• turned 18 on or after 1 January in the previous tax year and continued to attend school*
* including a school for people with disabilities, but excluding tertiary institutions.
The following income is required to have tax taken out before you receive it:
•• salary or wages
•• schedular payments
•• interest
•• dividends, and
•• Māori authority distributions.
If you only receive these types of income you will not need to file an IR3. However, if you are required to
file an IR3 return this income needs to be included.
If you receive income that has not had tax taken out before you receive it eg:
•• worked as a self-employed person,
•• worked around the home of a neighbour or family friend, and that work was not part of a business
that they carry on, or
•• beneficiary income from a trust, such as a testamentary trust (a trust set up from an estate of a
deceased person), that is not listed above as requiring to have tax taken out
and your total income from these sources is less than $2,340 for the tax year, this income is exempt from
tax and is not included in your return. You are not required to file a return just because you earn this
type of income. If you earn $2,340 or more, the exemption does not apply and you will need to file a
return and pay tax on all the income, not just the amount that exceeds the exemption.
If you have to file a return but we haven't sent you an IR3, you must request and file it by 7 July 2017,
unless you have an extension of time or a non-standard balance date.
Please call 0800 257 773 to request an IR3 return. Remember to have your IRD number with you.
www.ird.govt.nz 7

Extension of time
If circumstances beyond your control will prevent you from sending in your return on time, call us on
0800 377 774 and we may grant you an extension. If you have a tax agent you may have until 31 March
2018 to file the return. Contact your agent for more information.

Are there any penalties?

You may face penalties and prosecution if you:
•• are required to put in a return but don't
•• give false or misleading information (including not showing all your income)
•• leave out details on purpose so the information is misleading
•• file your return late.

Income year
The information in this guide is based on the tax year from 1 April 2016 to 31 March 2017. If your income
year is different you can still use this guide, but work out your income and expenses for your income year.
8 IR 3 INDIVIDUAL RETURN GUIDE

Using this guide

Did you know you can also file your return online? Go to www.ird.govt.nz and login to myIR secure online
services.
The form will prepopulate with your personal details and earnings information.
Before you start filling in the return make sure you have:
•• any interest or dividend statements
•• any taxable Māori authority distribution statements
•• any other income details, such as overseas, rental property, farming or business income
•• your 2017 Working for Families Tax Credits (WfFTC) letter, if you applied for WfFTC from
Inland Revenue.
The questions in this guide are in the same order as the questions on the return.
Don't use anyone else's preprinted return because it's precoded with their own IRD number.

Questions 1 to 5 Personal information

This information helps us to contact you. Please make sure we have your details exactly right. If you've
changed your name or address, please update the information in the spaces provided on the return.

Postal address
If you use your agent's postal address leave this panel blank. Your tax agent will let us know if they've
changed their address.
If your address is a PO Box number, please show your box lobby if you have one. If you're unsure of your
box lobby, please contact New Zealand Post.

Date of birth
We ask for this so we don't mix up people with the same name.

Question 6 Business industry classification (BIC) code

We're required to supply the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) with a code for your business
or trading activity, for levy classification and calculation.
If your BIC code isn't preprinted on the return or is different from the preprinted one, please enter the
correct code.
To work out your main business or trading activity and its code, go to www.businessdescription.co.nz
It's important that you choose the code which most accurately reflects your main business or trading
activity. If you're unable to identify the correct code, call ACC on 0508 426 837 for more help.

Note
Please provide the code only. Don't provide a description. If you don't complete your BIC code, ACC
will select one on your behalf. This may mean your ACC levy rate could be incorrect.
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Question 8 Bank account number

The fastest and safest way to get any refund is to have it direct credited to your New Zealand bank
account or other deposit account, eg, a building society account. If your bank account number isn't
preprinted on the return, please include it at Question 8.
If your suffix has only two digits, enter them in the first two boxes.

Question 9 Adjustments to your income

If you have a student loan or you are eligible for Working for Families Tax Credits (WfFTC), you may be
required to include adjustments to your income. This is so that Inland Revenue can correctly assess your
student loan repayment obligation and ensure you receive your correct WfFTC entitlement.
To notify Inland Revenue about your income adjustments you can:
•• tick 9A on your IR3 and complete an Adjust your income (IR215) form and attach it to page 3 of your
return or
•• log in to your myIR secure online services account and complete it there or
•• call us on 0800 227 774 and tell us what your adjustments are.
If you don't have an IR215 form you can:
•• download it from our website www.ird.govt.nz or
•• call us on 0800 257 773.

What do I need to do to receive my entitlement?

If you haven't already registered for WfFTC and you qualify, either go to our website www.ird.govt.nz
(search keywords: working for families) and register online, or complete a Working for Families Tax Credits
registration form (FS1) and return it to us.
When we've received the registration form we'll send you a letter with all your family details for you to
check. Please correct and return it to us if the details are incorrect.
If you've already registered for WfFTC and you need to file an IR3, we'll send you a letter by the beginning
of May with all your family details on it. Please check this information and return the form with your IR3
if the details are incorrect.

Question 10 Non-residents and transitional residents

Non-residents
If you were away from New Zealand for a total of 325 days in any 12-month period and don't have a
"permanent place of abode" in New Zealand, you may be a non-resident. Read our guide New Zealand tax
residence (IR292) to find out your status. If you weren't present in New Zealand and are a non-resident
for a full year, but you received income from New Zealand, you may need to complete an IR3NR return
instead.
10 IR 3 INDIVIDUAL RETURN GUIDE

Transitional residents
If you became a New Zealand tax resident during the year 1 April 2016 to 31 March 2017 and you've
elected not to be treated as a transitional resident, you have to complete an IR3 declaring your
worldwide income from the date you became a New Zealand tax resident.
Transitional residents don't have to declare their foreign-sourced income except for foreign employment
income and foreign services income.
If you were a non-resident for part of the year, complete Question 37 on your return.
If your return isn't for a full year, we'll calculate your tax and income-related tax credits and let you know the
result - see www.ird.govt.nz/technical-tax/legislation/2006/2006-81/2006-81-exempt-transitionals/
for further information.
www.ird.govt.nz 11

Your income
If you received family tax credit from Work and Income, salary, wages or schedular payments, the
information you need to complete Questions 11, 11A and 12 will be on your Summary of earnings (SOE),
which we'll send you in late May 2017. We send this automatically if we send you an IR3 return.
Your SOE contains the following information:
•• all your employers throughout the year
•• your total gross income with tax deducted and ACC earners' levy paid
•• any family tax credit paid by Work and Income
•• your tax credits for payroll donations you've made through payroll giving.

Question 11 Family tax credit from Work and Income

If you received family tax credit from Work and Income, copy the amount from your SOE to Box 11.
Don't include any Working for Families Tax Credits from Inland Revenue in Box 11.

Question 11A Income with tax deducted

Did you receive any of these types of income with tax deducted between 1 April 2016 and 31 March 2017?
•• salary or wages
•• a student allowance
•• any income-tested benefit - unemployment or sickness, transitional retirement, independent youth,
domestic purposes, widow's, invalid's or emergency
•• accident compensation payments related to earnings
•• New Zealand Superannuation (NZ Super) either income-tested or non-income tested, or a veteran's
pension
•• other pensions, annuities or superannuation (read "Pensions" on page 14)
•• shareholder-employee salary.
If you received this type of income with tax deducted, you need to copy the totals from your SOE to
Question 11A.

What to show on your return

Copy the total amounts from your SOE to the corresponding boxes (11A, 11B, 11C, 11D and 11E) on
your return.
12 IR 3 INDIVIDUAL RETURN GUIDE

Amending your income details

If any of the details on your SOE are incorrect (eg, wrong or missing employers), please make the changes
on your SOE and attach it to page 3 of your return.
You only need to attach your SOE to page 3 of your return if you've made changes to it.
Please transfer the amended totals from your SOE to the corresponding boxes on your return and use
the worksheet on page 13 to calculate your total tax deducted (11E).

ACC earners' levy

All employees must pay an ACC earners' levy to cover the cost of non-work related injuries, based
on their earnings. We collect this on behalf of the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC). The
maximum amount of earners' levy is $1,696.67. The earners' levy is set at a rate of 1.39% (1.39 cents in the
dollar).
If you need to amend your employment details on your SOE, you'll need to recalculate your earners' levy.

Using employer-provided information

If you received payslips or other earnings information from your employer, you can use this information
to complete your return and don't have to wait for your SOE. You don't include schedular payments in
this calculation.
You'll need to use your total PAYE deducted in your calculations. This is the amount of PAYE shown on
your payslips before any tax credits for payroll donations are deducted.
If you made donations through payroll giving to an organisation that is not on Inland Revenue's
approved donee organisations list, you won't be able to keep the tax credits you received and you
won't have paid enough PAYE throughout the year. You'll have either received a letter telling you about
these extinguished tax credits or they'll show on your summary of earnings. Put the total PAYE, less the
amount of your extinguished tax credits, in Box 11A.
If the amount of total PAYE deducted isn't clear from your payslips:
•• contact your employer, or
•• refer to your SOE for details, or
•• refer to "Account information" in myIR, or
•• call us on 0800 227 774.
www.ird.govt.nz 13

You'll need to calculate your ACC earners' levy liability and deduct it from your total PAYE, using the
worksheet below.

Worksheet for ACC earners' levy

Copy your total taxable earnings from salary and wages to
1
Box 1. Copy the amount to Box 11B of your return.

Copy your taxable earnings from salary and wages that

2
are not liable for earners' levy to Box 2. See below for a
list of income not liable. Copy this amount to Box 11C of
your return.

Subtract Box 2 from Box 1. Print the answer in Box 3.

3
If the answer exceeds the maximum liable earnings of
$122,063, print $122,063 in Box 3.

This is your liable income for ACC earners' levy

Multiply Box 3 by 0.0139 (1.39%). Print your answer in

4
Box 4. This is your ACC earners' levy. Copy this amount to
Box 11D of your return.

Copy your total PAYE from salary and wages to Box 5.

5
Copy this amount to Box 11A of your return.

Copy your total ACC earners' levy from Box 4 (above) to

6
Box 6.

Subtract Box 6 from Box 5 and print the answer in Box 7. 7

This is your total tax deducted. Copy this amount to Box 11E of your return.

The following income isn't liable for ACC earners' levy

- NZ Super - income from a partnership earned by a non-working
- income-tested benefits partner in that partnership
- non-taxable allowances - pensions from superannuation schemes not registered
- student allowances with the Financial Markets Authority
- veteran's pension - overseas pensions
- living alone payments - rents
- redundancy payments - estate and trust income
- retiring allowances - royalties
- jury and witness fees - income attributed to you from a portfolio investment
- interest and dividends entity (PIE)
- taxable Māori authority distributions - income arising from a withdrawal from foreign
superannuation schemes.
14 IR 3 INDIVIDUAL RETURN GUIDE

Pensions
Don't include the following pensions or annuities in your tax return:
•• non-taxable pensions or annuities from either life insurance funds or superannuation schemes
registered with the Financial Markets Authority (eg, Government Superannuation)
•• pensions that are completely tax-free, such as war pensions (other than a veteran's pension).
Any overseas social security pension you receive is taxable. Include it at Question 17 (see the notes on
page 23).
If you receive a United Kingdom national retirement pension and have joined the special banking option
operated by Work and Income, include the income and tax deducted at Question 11A.
For more information about overseas pensions read page 23.

Question 12 Schedular payments

Schedular payments are generally payments made to people who are not employees but are employed
on a contract basis. All ACC personal service rehabilitation payments which are paid by ACC or
your employer are classified as schedular payments. Different tax rates apply to schedular payments,
depending on the work done. A full list is available in the PAYE tables (IR340 and IR341) and on the back
of the Tax code declaration (IR330).
People who receive schedular payments will receive a summary of earnings (SOE) detailing their
schedular payments received and the tax deducted. If your SOE shows total schedular income over $200,
you must file an IR3 return.

ACC personal service rehabilitation payments

If you are an ACC client or caregiver and received ACC personal service rehabilitation payments, please
read the information on page 51 before you complete Question 12.

Question 12C Expenses related to schedular payments

Show any expenses you can claim against this income here. Don't include it with other expenses at
Question 26.

Question 12D Net schedular payments

This is the total gross schedular payments shown at Box 12B, less any expenses being claimed at Box 12C.

Mineral mining tax credit

Include in Box 12A the amount of refundable tax credit being claimed where a tax loss is incurred on
disposal of land or claiming rehabilitation expenditure. Include the amount of tax loss in Box 12D.

What to show on your return

Copy the total tax deducted (Box 12A) and gross payments (Box 12B) from your SOE to the same box
numbers of your return. Add up the expenses related to your schedular payments and print the total in
Box 12C. Subtract Box 12C from Box 12B and print the result in Box 12D.
www.ird.govt.nz 15

Note
If you're registered for GST, your gross schedular payment may include GST. Enter the GST-exclusive
amount at Question 12B.

Shareholder-employee salary
If you received a shareholder-employee salary with no PAYE deducted, show the amount at Question 21.

ACC levies
You'll have to pay ACC levies on schedular payments. ACC will invoice you for these.

Question 13 New Zealand interest

Did you receive any New Zealand interest between 1 April 2016 and 31 March 2017 from:
•• banks
•• Inland Revenue
•• building and investment societies
•• credit unions
•• securities
•• a partnership, look-through company, estate or trust
•• loans you've made?
If so, show all the New Zealand interest you received at Question 13B. If the interest is from a partnership,
look-through company, estate or trust please tick Box 13C.
If you were charged commission on any of your interest, claim this at Question 26. Read the note about
expenses on page 31.

Interest on broken term deposits

If you've broken a term deposit during the year, you may have "negative interest" to account for. This is
interest you've repaid on the term deposit. It may reduce the amount of interest you need to declare on
your tax return.
If you broke the term deposit in full, use the worksheet below to deduct the negative interest from
the gross interest amount shown on your Deduction certificate for RWT on interest (IR15) or equivalent
statement. In all other cases, the negative interest is deductible in a later tax return when the term
deposit matures.

Worksheet

Copy your gross interest from your IR15 to Box 1. 1

Print any negative interest you've paid in Box 2. 2

Subtract Box 2 from Box 1 and print the answer in Box 3.
3
Include this in the amount shown at Box 13B.
16 IR 3 INDIVIDUAL RETURN GUIDE

RWT
During the year, RWT will have been deducted from some or all of your interest and you can claim a
credit for this.
The interest payer will usually send you an IR15 or similar statement which shows the gross interest paid
and the amount of RWT deducted.
Add up the amounts from each statement or certificate and print the totals in Boxes 13A and 13B.
Don't send us your statements or IR15s, but keep them in case we need to see them later.

Interest of $50 or less

If the interest you received for the year is $50 or less, you may not receive a certificate or statement, but
you still need to show the gross interest and RWT. Get the details from your bank statements.

Interest on joint accounts

If you hold a joint account, you must show your share of the interest in your tax return.

Interest from overseas

If you received interest from overseas, convert your overseas interest and tax credits to New Zealand
dollars and show it at Question 17. Please read the notes about overseas income on page 19.

Farm vendor mortgage or finance bonds

If you received interest from a farm vendor mortgage or farm vendor finance bonds approved by the
Rural Banking and Finance Corporation of New Zealand, only half of the interest is taxable. Show the
RWT deducted and the taxable amount of interest in Boxes 13A and 13B.

Income from financial arrangements

If you are a party to a financial arrangement, such as government stock, local authority stock, mortgage
bonds, futures or deferred property settlements, you may have to calculate the income or expenditure
from the financial arrangement using a spreading method, rather than on a cash basis. To determine
whether a spreading method must be used, see "Financial arrangements" on page 30.
If the financial arrangement matures, is sold, remitted or transferred, a "wash-up" calculation, known as a
base price adjustment, must be made.
Any RWT will have to be deducted on a cash basis. Show the RWT deducted and any income from the
financial arrangement in Boxes 13A and 13B.

Interest paid by Inland Revenue

If we pay you interest because you overpaid your tax, include the gross interest in Box 13B in the income
year you received the interest.

Interest paid by a person

If you paid us interest because you underpaid your tax, include it as a deduction in the return at
Question 26 for the income year the interest is paid.
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Question 14 New Zealand dividends

Dividends are a part of a company's profits that it passes on to its shareholders. Unit trusts are treated as
companies for income tax purposes and unit trust distributions are treated as dividends.
Complete Question 14 if you received any New Zealand dividends between 1 April 2016 and 31 March
2017, including dividends from your local electricity or gas company (but don't include a dividend that's
a distribution of the trust's capital and is tax-free). The company or unit trust that paid you the dividend
will send you a dividend statement.
Include dividends earned by a partnership or estate, or distributed by a trust.
If you were charged commission on any of your dividends, claim this at Question 26. Read the notes
about expenses on page 31.
If you receive dividends from a portfolio investment entity (PIE) that is a listed company and doesn't use
your prescribed investor rate, you can decide whether or not to include the dividends in your return.

Credits attached to dividends

A New Zealand company or unit trust may attach several types of credits to dividends.
"Imputation credits" are credits for part of the tax the company has already paid on its profits so the
dividends aren't taxed twice.
"Payment for a foreign dividend" are credits for tax the company paid on dividends it received from
overseas.
RWT is deducted from your dividend to bring the total credits withheld up to 33% of the gross dividend.
If the dividend is from a listed PIE, it should not have RWT deducted.

What to show on your return

Your dividend statements show the amount:
•• you received (net dividend)
•• of any imputation credit
•• of any RWT totals or payment for foreign dividends.
Add all these amounts together to work out your gross dividend.
Add up all the imputation credits, RWT or payment for a foreign dividend and gross dividend totals and
transfer them to the relevant boxes at Question 14.
If the dividends are from a partnership, look-through company, estate or trust, please tick Box 14C.
Don't send us your dividend statements, but keep them in case we ask for them later.
18 IR 3 INDIVIDUAL RETURN GUIDE

Shares and other non-cash dividends

If you received shares from a taxable bonus issue or a non-cash dividend , include them as income at
Question 14.

Dividends from overseas

Please read the notes about overseas income on page 19.

Question 15 Māori authority distributions

Complete Question 15 if you received taxable Māori authority distributions between 1 April 2016 and
31 March 2017. The Māori authority that paid you the distribution will send you a Māori authority
distribution statement.

Credits attached to distributions

The Māori authority may attach a credit to the distribution it makes to members. This credit will be
classified as a "Māori authority credit" and includes tax the Māori authority has already paid on its
profits.

What to show on your return

Your Māori authority distribution statement shows the amount of:
•• the distribution made to you, including which portion is taxable and which portion isn't
•• the Māori authority credit.
Transfer these amounts, not including any non-taxable distribution, to the relevant boxes at Question 15.
For more information read our guide Māori authorities (IR487).

Question 16 Estate or trust income

If you received estate or trust income that relates to the year 1 April 2016 to 31 March 2017, show it at
Question 16.
There are three types of estates or trusts:
•• complying
•• foreign
•• non-complying.
Complying trusts are trusts that have been taxed in New Zealand on all their income since the day they
started.
Allocations of beneficiary income which the minor beneficiary rule applies to are taxed as trustee income.
This means the trust is subject to tax on this income at 33 cents in the dollar, and it's included in the
trustee tax calculation in the trust's IR6 return.
These distributions shouldn't be included in the minor's individual tax return.
All other trusts are non-complying or foreign. Read our guide Trusts' and estates' income tax rules (IR288)
for more details.
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What to show on your return

Add up the tax paid by the trustee/s and print the total in Box 16A. Print your share of the estate or
complying trust income in Box 16B.
But, if your estate or trust income includes:
•• interest with RWT deducted, show this at Question 13 and tick 13C.
•• dividends with imputation credits attached, show this at Question 14 and tick 14C.
•• overseas income and overseas tax paid, show this at Question 17
•• taxable Māori authority distributions, show this at Question 15.

Income from foreign and non-complying trusts

If you're a beneficiary of a foreign or non-complying trust please complete a Schedule of beneficiary's
estate or trust income (IR307) form.

Taxable distributions from non-complying trusts

Copy the amount of taxable distributions from the non-complying trust to Box 16C, and attach the
IR307 to the top of page 3 of your return.
We separate taxable distributions from non-complying trusts because they're taxed at a different rate.
If you have this type of income, your tax calculation at Question 32 may not be correct. We'll do this
calculation for you and send you a notice of assessment.

Question 17 Overseas income

If you received income from, or while you were overseas, between 1 April 2016 and 31 March 2017, show
it at Box 17B in New Zealand dollars. This includes taxable income from withdrawals and transfers from
foreign superannuation schemes while you were a non-resident of New Zealand. Transitional residents
must include any foreign employment or service income at Box 17B.
You can convert all overseas income and tax credits to New Zealand dollars by:
•• using the rates tables on our website (search keywords: overseas currencies)
•• contacting the overseas section of a trading bank and asking for the exchange rate for the day you
received your overseas income.

Note
Portable NZ Super and/or portable veteran's pension paid while residing overseas are tax exempt
and won't need to be included on your return. For more information go to www.ird.govt.nz (search
keywords: Veterans income).
20 IR 3 INDIVIDUAL RETURN GUIDE

Note
Dividends received from overseas companies that are treated as FIFs (except companies covered by
the exclusions listed under foreign rights at Question 36) are not taxable separately. Generally, you
would use the default FIF income calculation method (the fair dividend rate), which doesn't tax
dividends separately.
The foreign tax deducted from the dividend may be claimed as a credit against the tax payable on the
calculated FIF income for that company.

Foreign superannuation withdrawals or transfers

If you've received a lump sum from a foreign superannuation scheme, have transferred your foreign
superannuation scheme into a New Zealand or Australian superannuation scheme, or you have
transferred a superannuation interest to another person you are liable for income tax unless you qualify
for an exemption. You need to calculate the amount of taxable income from the withdrawal or transfer
(refer below) and include this income in Box 17B, and tick Box 17C.
Lump sums received or transferred in the first four years of New Zealand tax residence are generally
exempt from tax; see "temporary tax exemption from foreign superannuation withdrawals" on page 23.
Lump sums and transfers are taxed using one of two methods:
•• schedule method (default method) - this means a certain portion of your foreign superannuation
withdrawal will be income, based on the number of years you've been a New Zealand tax resident
and contributions you've made in that time (certain conditions apply).
•• formula method (alternative method) - can be used if your foreign superannuation scheme is a
defined contribution scheme and meets certain requirements. It taxes the actual investment gains
that have accrued to your scheme while you've been a New Zealand tax resident.

KiwiSaver withdrawal facility for tax liability on foreign superannuation withdrawals or

transfers
If you transfer a lump sum to a KiwiSaver scheme you may have income tax and student loan repayment
obligations. You can request a withdrawal of funds from your KiwiSaver account to pay these obligations.
Your KiwiSaver provider will deal with your application.
For more information about foreign superannuation withdrawals or transfers see our guide
Overseas pensions and annuity schemes (IR257) or go to www.ird.govt.nz (search keywords: foreign
superannuation).

Foreign investment fund (FIF) income

If, at any time during the 2017 income year you held rights such as shares, units or an entitlement to
benefit in any foreign company, unit trust, superannuation scheme or life insurance policy, you may be
required to calculate FIF income or loss. Generally, you'll use the fair dividend rate (FDR) or comparative
value (CV) method to calculate FIF income.
www.ird.govt.nz 21

The main exclusions from an interest in a FIF are:

•• investments in certain Australian resident companies listed on approved indices on the Australian
stock exchange, that maintain franking accounts (a list of these companies is available on our website
(search keyword: IR871))
•• interest in certain Australian unit trusts
–– limited exemptions for interests in certain venture capital interests that move offshore (for
10 income years from the income year in which the company migrates from New Zealand)
•• a 10% or greater interest in a controlled foreign company (CFC).
From 1 April 2014 the FIF rules generally no longer apply to interests in foreign superannuation schemes
unless acquired when the holder was a New Zealand tax resident or the interest is grandparented. For
more information see our guide Overseas pensions and annuity schemes (IR257).
There's also an exemption from the FIF rules where the total cost of all the investment for FIF purposes is
below NZ$50,000.

What to show on your return

After you've converted the amounts to New Zealand dollars, add up the available amounts of overseas
tax paid and print the total in Box 17A. Add up the gross amounts of overseas income (before tax was
deducted) and print the total in Box 17B.
Staple proof of any overseas tax paid to the top of page 3 of your return.
If a branch equivalent tax account (BETA) was maintained, complete a Branch equivalent tax account
return (IR308) and attach it to your IR3 return.

Tax paid overseas

If you paid tax overseas on any foreign income derived, you may be able to claim it as a credit against
your New Zealand tax payable. The amount of credit you receive may be restricted by any double
taxation agreements and is the lesser of the actual amount of tax paid on the overseas income or the
amount of tax you would pay in New Zealand on the foreign income.
To claim an overseas tax credit you must supply proof of the tax deducted, eg, an overseas tax deduction
certificate. If you need one, you'll have to request it from the overseas government agency concerned.
Staple a copy of the certificate to the top of page 3 of your return.
Also, if you receive a dividend that isn't taxed separately under the FIF rules, you can offset most overseas
tax credit paid on the dividend against your tax payable.
For more information about foreign tax credits read A guide to foreign investment funds and the fair
dividend rate (IR461) pages 25 to 29.

Claiming overseas tax paid on overseas dividends FIF income

You can claim the tax paid up to the amount of New Zealand income tax payable on the FIF income
associated with the attributing interest that has paid the dividend. If you used the FDR method you can
use the overseas tax paid to reduce the tax payable on the FDR income associated with that attributing
interest. Please note that Australian franking credits and tax on dividends from the United Kingdom
cannot be claimed as overseas tax paid.
22 IR 3 INDIVIDUAL RETURN GUIDE

Where there is no FIF income or a FIF loss

Tax paid overseas can only be used to cover your liability for income tax payable on your FIF income.
If there is no New Zealand income tax payable on your FIF investment, no claim can be made for the
overseas tax paid on any dividends received from that FIF.
You cannot get a refund of overseas tax paid, or reduce tax payable on any other income.
For more information read A guide to foreign investment funds and the fair dividend rate (IR461).

Unused overseas tax credits

Generally, these are forfeited (lost).

Carrying forward any excess or unused overseas tax credits?

You can't carry forward unused overseas credits where you have used the FDR, CV, deemed rate of return
or cost methods to calculate FIF income or loss.

New Zealand tax credits (imputation or RWT) deducted from overseas

dividends
You can claim New Zealand tax credits on overseas dividends as follows:
•• If the credits are RWT, they are used to offset tax payable with any excess refundable.
•• If they're imputation credits, they are used to reduce tax payable. If your dividend exceeds your FIF
income, the amount of imputation credit you can claim is calculated on the basis of your FIF income.
If your FIF income exceeds your dividend, you can claim the entire imputation credit attached to the
dividend.
•• Any excess imputation credit can't be carried forward to the next year or converted to a loss.
The full amount of these New Zealand tax credits can be entered in the return even where the FIF
income is reduced to zero or there is an FIF loss.
These credits will only be attached to Australian company or unit trust dividends.
If you've shown a tax credit and there is no income in the associated panel, you'll need to include a note
in your return setting out the details.

Temporary tax exemption from foreign income

If you're currently claiming the four-year temporary tax (transitional resident) exemption for certain
types of foreign-sourced income, you don't need to declare this income in Box 17B, unless it's foreign
employment or services income. When your tax exemption expires, you must include all your worldwide
income when you file your income tax return.
Go to www.ird.govt.nz for further information about the temporary tax exemption qualifying criteria
and types of exempt foreign-sourced income.
www.ird.govt.nz 23

Temporary tax exemption from foreign superannuation withdrawals

This four-year exemption period is similar to the temporary tax exemption from foreign income and
applies to foreign superannuation withdrawals during the period. The exemption doesn't require you to
be non-resident for a minimum period.
This exemption applies if you:
•• first acquired your interest in a foreign superannuation scheme while a non-resident for New Zealand
tax purposes, and
•• haven't previously had this exemption.
Foreign superannuation withdrawals during the four-year exemption period do not need to be declared
as income in Box 17B.
Go to www.ird.govt.nz for further information about the foreign superannuation temporary exemption
or read our guide Overseas pensions and annuity schemes (IR257).

Australian dividends from non-FIF companies

If you received Australian dividends, your dividend statements may show all or some of the following:
•• the franked/unfranked amount
•• Australian withholding tax
•• imputed credit or franking credits
•• New Zealand imputation credits.
Add up the amounts of Australian withholding tax deducted and print the total in Box 17A. Dividends
paid by Australian companies may have a New Zealand imputation credit.
To calculate the gross dividend, add together the franked and unfranked amounts, along with the
New Zealand imputation credits and print the total in Box 17B. Don't include any Australian imputed or
franking credits. Claim New Zealand imputation credits in Box 14.

Overseas pensions
If you received an overseas social security pension, convert the amount into New Zealand dollars. Print
the total in Box 17B.
You may also have received other types of overseas pensions, such as foreign private annuities or foreign
investment funds. For more information, please read the note about foreign rights disclosure on page 48.
Under most of the tax treaties New Zealand has with other jurisdictions, you cannot claim a tax credit
for tax deducted overseas on pensions. If you paid tax on the pension overseas, generally you need to
claim a refund or tax credit from the overseas tax authority, not from Inland Revenue in New Zealand.
For more information, please read our guides Overseas pensions and annuity schemes (IR257) and
Overseas social security pensions (IR258) or go to www.ird.govt.nz/international/residency/dta/
24 IR 3 INDIVIDUAL RETURN GUIDE

Specific dividends
If you received dividends that are treated as interest or that are from an overseas company through an
agent or trustee, who has deducted RWT in New Zealand, show the tax credits and overseas income in
Boxes 17A and 17B. Show New Zealand RWT deducted in Box 14A.
Staple a copy of the dividend statement to the top of page 3 of your return.

Note
If you've shown a tax credit and there is no income in the associated panel, you'll need to include a
note in your return setting out the details.

Investments in portfolio investment entities (PIEs)

Certain PIEs attribute the net income/loss and tax credits they derive across their investors. Individual
investors generally don't include the attributed income or loss in their tax return. You can only claim a
loss when it has the zero rate applied. In all other cases you cannot claim a loss from your PIE.
Each year, the PIE is required to provide an investor statement, setting out the details of the income/loss
and the tax it has paid on the income it has attributed to you.
Where your PIE has calculated the tax using a prescribed investor rate lower than your correct rate or
you have exited a PIE that doesn't calculate tax when an investor exits, you may need to include the
income in your return to pay the tax.
Where you're required to include attributed PIE income in your return, show the income and tax paid/
credit where the rate lower than your correct rate has been applied. Include any tax credits shown on
your PIE's investor statement where you've exited from a PIE that zero-rates exiting investors. You can
show the net income or loss (after adjusting for the investor level fees) in Question 17B and the general
tax credits shown at 17A. Where any specified tax credits (eg, RWT) are shown, include these in the
appropriate question on the return.
If you have a student loan or if you're eligible for Working for Families Tax Credits you now have to
declare PIE income on an Adjust your income (IR215) form, except if the PIE is a superannuation fund or
a retirement savings scheme (eg, KiwiSaver) where the funds are locked in.
If you have declared PIE income in your return and it is from a:
•• non-locked-in PIE it will be taken into account
•• locked-in PIE you need to show the amount on the IR215 so we can exclude it from your income.
If you have non-locked-in PIE income or dividends from a listed PIE that are not included in your return
you may need to declare it on the IR215 for either or both student loan and Working for Families Tax
Credits.
For more information go to www.ird.govt.nz (search keywords: adjust your income).
www.ird.govt.nz 25

Question 18 Partnership income

Show your share of income from the partnership's trade or business from 1 April 2016 to 31 March 2017
in Box 18B, unless it includes:
•• interest and any RWT - show this at Question 13 and tick 13C
•• dividends and any credits - show this at Question 14 and tick 14C
•• overseas income and overseas tax paid - show this at Question 17
•• rental income - show this at Question 22
•• other income and, if your share of this income:
–– is received in recognition of your capital investment in the partnership and you didn't take any
active part in the day-to-day operation or management of the business (eg, you were a sleeping
partner), or
–– is generated from other investment activity (eg, sale of shares), show this at Question 24.
Partnership income earned as a result of "active" involvement is liable for ACC levies, which will be
invoiced by ACC.

Losses from limited partnerships

If you're claiming a loss from a limited partnership and you need help working out the amount you can
claim, go to www.ird.govt.nz

Expenses
You may be able to claim expenses against your share of the partnership income that wasn't claimed
in the partnership's IR7 return, eg, interest on capital borrowed to purchase a share in the partnership.
Claim these expenses at Question 26.

Question 19 Look-through company (LTC) income

If you received any tax credits and/or income from an LTC write the details at Question 19.
Deductions (expenses) against LTC income are limited if the owner (shareholder) doesn't have sufficient
owner's basis (equity) in the company.

Note
The LTC will normally supply information about non-allowable deductions and any other information
required to complete your return.

If you had any non-allowable deductions brought forward from last year, you may be able to claim some
or all, of the brought forward amount this year. Print the amount claimable in Box 19D.
Don't include:
•• interest and any RWT - show this at Question 13 and tick 13C
•• dividends and any credits - show this at Question 14 and tick 14C
•• Māori authority distributions and credits - show these at Question 15
•• any overseas income - show this at Question 17, along with qualifying tax credits attached
•• rental income - show this at Question 22.
26 IR 3 INDIVIDUAL RETURN GUIDE

What to show on your return

Add up all other tax credits received from the LTC and print the total in Box 19A. Add up all LTC income
not already included elsewhere and print in Box 19B. Add up all non-allowable deductions this year and
print in Box 19C. Add up all prior year non-allowable deductions claimed this year and print in Box 19D.
If you have an amount in Box 19C, add this to Box 19B and put the total in Box 19E.
If you have an amount in Box 19D, subtract this from Box 19B and put the total in Box 19E.
If you don't have any amounts in Box 19C or Box 19D, copy the amount from Box 19B to 19E.
You can find more information about LTCs in our guide Look-through companies (IR879).

Question 21 Shareholder-employee salary

If, as a shareholder-employee, you received a salary between 1 April 2016 and 31 March 2017 with PAYE
deducted, include the amount in Box 11A.
If, as a shareholder-employee, your shareholder-employee's salary or director's fees had no PAYE
deducted, include the amount in Box 21. If you would normally receive a shareholder-employee salary
(even if you didn't receive one this year), please tick 21A.
If you are not a shareholder employee and you received director's fees with no tax deducted, show the
income at Question 23.
The company that paid your salary or fees will be able to tell you exactly how much to show in your return.

Question 21B
In-work tax credit (IWTC) is for families who normally work a minimum number of hours each week, as
follows:
•• a two-parent family where one or both parents between them normally work 30 hours or more a week
•• a single parent normally working 20 hours or more a week.
The eligibility criteria for IWTC changed from 1 April 2011 to include the hours worked without pay by
major shareholders1 in their close companies2. To qualify, the company must derive gross income.
If you're already registered for WfFTC, and now meet the requirements for IWTC you'll need to tick
Box 21B of your IR3.
If you're not registered for WfFTC but you think you qualify, please complete a Working for Families Tax
Credits registration form (FS1).
For more information go to www.ird.govt.nz (search keywords: in-work tax credit).

ACC earners' levy

Shareholder-employee remuneration or director's fees without PAYE deducted are liable for ACC earners'
levy. The company should deduct earners' levy from your remuneration or director's fees when declared.
ACC will invoice the company for this.

1 You are a major shareholder if you either own, control or have rights to acquire at least 10% of shares or voting
rights in a close company, or have by other means at least 10% control of a close company.
2 A company where there are five or fewer shareholders whose total voting interests in the company are greater
than 50%.
www.ird.govt.nz 27

Question 22 Rents
Show income you received from rents between 1 April 2016 and 31 March 2017 at Question 22.
Prepare a summary of the details for each rental property. You can use either:
•• the Rental income (IR3R) form, which asks for all the information we need, or
•• your own summary.
If you need an IR3R form, you can print a copy off our website www.ird.govt.nz
If you prepare your own summary, please refer to the IR3R form or our guide Rental income (IR264) to see
what to include.

What to show in your return

Add up the net rents (total rents after expenses) and print the total in Box 22. Attach the IR3R, or your
summary, to the top of page 3 of your return.
Keep your receipts with your records in case we ask to see them later.

Question 23 Self-employed income

If you received self-employed income between 1 April 2016 and 31 March 2017, show it at Question 23.

Schedular payment income

Don't show any schedular payment income at Question 23. This income is declared at Question 12. If
you're an ACC client or caregiver and received ACC personal service rehabilitation payments, please read
the information on page 51 before you complete Question 12.
You can claim expenses and deductions against many schedular payments at Question 12C - see page 14.

Attribution rules
The attribution rule may apply where an individual provides services to an associated person (company,
trust, partnership).
In particular, it can apply where the associated person sells those services on, principally to a third party.
To find out how to apply this rule, please read Tax Information Bulletin (TIB) Vol 12, No 12 (December
2000) and Vol 13, No 11 (November 2001).

Prepare a summary of details

You can use any of the following:
•• your financial records
•• the Farming income (IR3F) form for agricultural businesses
•• the Business income (IR3B) form for other businesses
•• the Financial statement summary (IR10) form.
Staple one of the above forms to page 3 of your return and print your profit (net income) in Box 23.
28 IR 3 INDIVIDUAL RETURN GUIDE

The Financial statement summary (IR10) is a short form of the financial statements of a business. Use an
IR10 and speed up processing of the return. We don't need a set of accounts if you use the IR10. You still
need to complete a set of financial accounts and keep them in case we ask for them later. For help with
filling out the IR10, see our IR10 guide.
Keep your receipts with your records in case we ask to see them too.

Providing childcare services in a home

Based on the Education (Home-Based Care) Order 1992 and/or the Licensing Criteria for Home-Based
Education and Care Services 2008, Inland Revenue's Determination DET 09/02: Standard-Cost Household
Service for Childcare Providers sets out the types of expenditure generally incurred (standard cost) by
individuals providing childcare services in their home.
But, if you're a childcare provider who's registered for GST, this determination doesn't apply to you.
Individuals providing childcare services in their homes may use the standard costs (set out in the
determination) or their actual costs and income for calculating their tax. If your childcare activities began
part-way through the year, calculate your tax from that date using either the standard costs or actual
costs. See our Tax Information Bulletin (TIB) Vol 17, No 4 (May 2005) for details.
Show your childcare income at Question 23 if:
•• the determination applies to you, and your childcare taxable income is greater than nil, after
standard costs have been deducted, or
•• you keep full records of your childcare income and actual expenses, and you make a taxable profit or
loss after expenses have been deducted.
If you need help deciding whether you need to declare childcare income using standard costs, please call us.

Note
You can't offset any loss calculated using standard costs (see the determination) against other income
in any income year.

Childcare services not under the Education (Home-Based Care) Order 1992
These childcare providers can't use the determination. They must keep full records of actual income and
expenses and are liable for tax on their total income after actual expenses are deducted for childcare
services provided.
At Question 23 show any childcare taxable income or loss after expenses have been deducted.

ACC levies
Income from self-employment is liable for ACC levies which ACC will invoice you for.
www.ird.govt.nz 29

Question 24 Other income

If you received any other income between 1 April 2016 and 31 March 2017, show it at Question 24. This
may include:
•• the sale of land and/or buildings
•• the sale of non-FIF shares or other property
•• financial arrangements
•• cash jobs, payments made “under the table”, tips, bartering or income from an illegal enterprise
•• any share of partnership income as a result of capital investment
•• free or discounted shares received under an employee share scheme (also known as a share purchase
agreement) by either you or an associate. Note that disposing of any rights to these shares by you (or
your associate) to a third party may also be income.
If you’re not sure if your income is taxable, please call us.

Income from the sale of land and/or buildings

The profits are taxable if you bought a property for the purpose of reselling it or are in the business of
buying and selling land and/or buildings.
If you purchased a property on or after 1 October 2015 and sold/disposed of it before the end of the
income year, any profit will be taxable, even if you didn’t intend to sell when you purchased it.
The profits may also be taxable if you:
•• are a builder and improved a property before selling it
•• developed or subdivided land and sold sections
•• had a change of zoning on your property and sold it within ten years of buying it.
Show the total profit in Box 24.
If you’re a New Zealand tax resident you’ll need to pay tax on your worldwide income under
New Zealand tax law. This includes any property sales worldwide whether caught under the bright-line
test for residential property sales or the other property rules.
Complete a Property sale information (IR833) form for each property sold/disposed of and include it with
your return. The form explains how to calculate and correctly return the resulting profit or loss. You can
download the form from our website www.ird.govt.nz (search keyword: IR833). Complete the form even
if the details have been included in a Financial statements summary (IR10) or set of accounts.

Income from the sale of non-FIF shares or other property

The profits are taxable if you bought:
•• and sold shares or other property as a business
•• shares or other property for the purpose of resale
•• shares or property to make a profit.
This doesn't apply to shares that are FIFs. Print the total profit in Box 24. Staple the details of your
income and expenses from these sales to the top of page 3 of your return.
30 IR 3 INDIVIDUAL RETURN GUIDE

Sale or disposal of assets

If you sold or disposed of a depreciated asset for more than its adjusted tax value, call us or read our
guides Depreciation (IR260), General depreciation rates (IR265) or Historic depreciation rates (IR267).

Losses from the sale of land, buildings, shares or other property

If you made a loss and can show that if you'd made a profit, it would have been taxable, you may be able
to claim the loss as a deduction.
Show the total in Box 24.
If the property was purchased on or after 1 October 2015 with no intention to sell and it was sold/
disposed of before the end of the income year, any excess deductions can’t be claimed unless they can be
offset against net income from other property sales. The Property sale information (IR833) form has more
information on this.
For more information on property sales see our guide Buying and selling residential property (IR313).

Financial arrangements
If you're a party to a financial arrangement, you must account for income from those arrangements on an
accrual basis. Financial arrangements include government stock, futures contracts and deferred property
settlements, excluding short-term agreements for sale and purchase of property.
A cash-basis person doesn't need to use the accrual method to calculate income. You qualify as a cash-
basis person if:
•• on every day in the income year the absolute value of all financial arrangements added together is
$1,000,000 or less, or
•• the absolute value of your income and expenditure in the income year under all financial
arrangements is $100,000 or less, and
•• the deferral of income or acceleration of expenditure using the cash method rather than the accrual
method is $40,000 or less.
If you held the financial arrangement prior to 20 May 1999 the amounts above may be reduced to
$600,000, $70,000 and $20,000 respectively.
Please note the "absolute value" is the value of an amount whether it's positive or negative.

Sale or maturity of financial arrangements

Whether or not the exemption from the spreading method applies, you must do a "wash-up" calculation
in certain circumstances. For example:
•• a financial arrangement matures, is sold, remitted or transferred
•• there is an absolute assignment of the financial arrangement
•• a party to a financial arrangement is released from making all remaining payments under the
Insolvency Act 1967, the Companies Act 1993 or the laws of a country or territory other than
New Zealand
•• you cease to be a resident of New Zealand.
www.ird.govt.nz 31

The calculation ensures that the total gains or losses from the financial arrangement are brought to
account. This applies in every case - you don't have to be in the business of buying or selling financial
arrangements, or have bought them for the purpose of resale, as you would with shares.
When calculating the income or expenditure on sale, use our Sale or disposal of financial arrangements
(IR3K) form.

Income from cash jobs, tips, "under the table" payments, bartering or an
illegal enterprise
If you received any other type of income that didn't have tax deducted from it, show it in Box 24.
Staple the details of your income and any expenses to the top of page 3 of your return.

Share of partnership income as a result of capital investment

If your share of partnership income is received in recognition of your capital investment in the
partnership and you didn't take any active part in the day-to-day operation or management of the
business (ie, you were a sleeping partner), show your share of partnership income in Box 24.

Question 24A Residential land withholding tax (RLWT) credit

If you are an “offshore RLWT person” and have sold or transferred residential property located in New
Zealand, RLWT may have been deducted from the sale price. You should have received a statement
on the completion of the sale process showing the amount of RLWT deducted. You can claim a credit
for any RLWT deducted. Show the amount of RLWT deducted, less any RLWT paid back to you and/or
transferred to outstanding amounts during the income year.
If there was more than one amount of RLWT deducted, show the combined amount, less any RLWT paid
back to you and/or transferred to outstanding amounts during the income year.
Show the name of your withholder(s) in the “name of payer” box.

Question 26 Other expenses and deductions

If you paid any of these expenses, between 1 April 2016 and 31 March 2017, you can claim them in
Box 26.
•• a fee to someone for completing your tax return
•• commission on interest or dividend income (but not bank fees - they're a private expense)
•• additional expenses incurred in earning partnership income, eg, interest on capital borrowed to
purchase a share in the partnership
•• interest on money you borrowed to buy shares or to invest - as long as the investment will produce
some taxable income
•• premiums on loss of earnings insurance (income protection), provided the benefit from the
insurance policy is taxable
•• interest paid to Inland Revenue for late payment of tax, only if the interest is not already included as
a deduction in your accounts.
32 IR 3 INDIVIDUAL RETURN GUIDE

ACC personal service rehabilitation payments

If you're an ACC client and received ACC personal service rehabilitation payments and have retained
some of these, you may claim the payments you've made to your caregiver as a deduction at
Question 12C. Read the information on page 51 before you complete Question 12C.

Schedular income expenses

If you incurred expenses while earning income that's had tax from schedular payments deducted,
you claim these at Question 12C, not here.

Other expenses
For other expenses, staple the details to the top of page 3 of your return. Include your name and IRD
number.
You can't claim expenses against income from:
•• salary and/or wages
•• election day services
•• casual agricultural work
•• commissions, if you're also paid a salary or retainer from the same employer.
You can still claim expenses for having your tax return completed for you and loss of earnings insurance
premiums from these income sources.

Note
If you're GST-registered you must deduct any GST included in any expenses. GST-registered people
claim the GST portion of their expenses in their GST return, not the IR3.

ACC levies
ACC will take into account all expenses shown in Box 26 when calculating any ACC levies due.

Question 28 Net losses brought forward

Where to find your net loss to bring forward
You can find the amount of net loss you have to bring forward on the loss carried forward letter we sent
you after your 2016 return acknowledgement or notice of assessment.

What to show on your return

Add up all net losses to be brought forward to 2017 and print the total in Box 28A. Print the amount you
can claim this year in Box 28B.
www.ird.govt.nz 33

Your tax credits

Tax credits can reduce the tax you have to pay on your income.

Other tax credits

Donation tax credits are claimed separately on a Tax credit claim form (IR526). If you claimed this tax
credit last year, we'll have sent you a claim form in May.

Question 30 Independent earner tax credit (IETC)

You can calculate your IETC:
•• by using the worksheets provided in this section
•• by calling our self-service line - see page 57.

IETC
The IETC is a tax credit for individuals whose annual net income* is between $24,000 and $48,000. Your
annual net income is shown at Box 27 "Income after expenses" in your return.
If you're eligible for IETC, but earn over $44,000, your annual entitlement to IETC decreases by 13 cents
for every dollar earned above $44,000.
For the period 1 April 2016 to 31 March 2017, you'll be entitled to IETC for any months:
•• you were a New Zealand tax resident
•• you or your partner weren't entitled to Working for Families Tax Credits (or received an overseas
equivalent)
and you didn't receive:
•• an income-tested benefit
•• NZ Super
•• a veteran's pension or
•• an overseas equivalent of any of the above.
You're a tax resident if you lived in New Zealand for more than 183 days in the last twelve months, or
have a permanent place of abode in New Zealand. For more information, read our guide New Zealand tax
residence (IR292).
To work out the months you're entitled to this tax credit, use the total number of whole months the
criteria applied to.
If you didn't meet the above criteria for even one day of any month you won't be entitled to IETC at
all for that month, so don't include it in your calculation.

* Net income means your total income from all sources, less any allowable deductions or current year losses (not
including any losses brought forward).
34 IR 3 INDIVIDUAL RETURN GUIDE

Calculating your IETC

Enter the start and end dates when you had any overseas income that excludes you from being eligible
for IETC at Box 30B on your return.
If the overseas income continued past the end of the year enter the end date for the income as
31/03/2017.
If you have more than one date range for the overseas excluded income, attach a note telling us of the
date ranges. You'll also need to include any dates you weren't a New Zealand tax resident.
Tick the boxes below for each month (between 1 April 2016 and 31 March 2017) you were entitled to the
IETC for the full month.

A M J J A S O N D J F M

Total number of months eligible Box A

Add the number from Box A to Box 30C of your
return.

Use this worksheet if your income is between $24,000 and $44,000

Number of months eligible for IETC IETC
1 43.33
2 86.66
3 130.00
4 173.33
5 216.66
6 260.00
7 303.33
8 346.66
9 390.00
10 433.33
11 476.66
12 520.00

In Box B enter the IETC that corresponds with Box B

the eligible months at Box A.
This is your IETC. Copy it to Box 30 of your
return.
www.ird.govt.nz 35

Use this worksheet if your income is between $44,000 and $48,000

Number of months eligible for IETC (from Box A on page 34) A

Enter your income from Box 27, of your return, in Box B B

In Box C, enter the amount in Box B less $44,000 C

Multiply Box C by 0.13 and enter the amount in Box D D

Subtract Box D from $520 and put the amount in Box E E

Multiply Box E by Box A and put the amount in Box F F

Divide Box F by 12 and enter the amount in Box G G

This is your IETC. Copy it to

Box 30 of your return.

Question 31 Excess imputation credits brought forward

If you had unused imputation credits in your 2016 tax return, they are not refundable and must be
brought forward and claimed against this year's tax payable.

Where to find your excess imputation credits to bring forward

You can find the amount on:
•• the loss/excess imputation credits carried forward letter we sent you after your 2016 year return
acknowledgement or notice of assessment, or
•• page 1 of your personal tax summary for 2016 (if you received one).
If you have excess imputation credits to bring forward but didn't receive confirmation of the amount,
please call us.

What to show on your return

Print the amount of excess imputation credits to be brought forward to 2017 in Box 31 of your return.
Also print this amount in Box 8 of your tax calculation on page 38 in this guide.
36 IR 3 INDIVIDUAL RETURN GUIDE

Calculating your tax

Tax on taxable income
You can calculate your tax:
•• on our website at "Work it out"
•• by using the worksheets on the following pages
•• by calling us on our 0800 self-service line - see page 57.

If your taxable income is: Calculate your tax on taxable income on:
$0.00 to $14,000 below

$14,001 to $48,000 below

$48,001 to $70,000 page 37

$70,001 and over page 37

Use this worksheet if your taxable income is from $0 to $14,000.

Your tax rate is 10.5 cents in the dollar.
Copy your taxable income from Box 29 of your return to
Box 1.
1 00
Multiply Box 1 by 0.105 (10.5 cents in the dollar).
2
Print the answer in Box 2.
This is the tax on your taxable income. Copy it to Box 2 on page 38 of this guide.

Use this worksheet if your taxable income is from $14,001 to $48,000.

Your tax is $1,470 plus 17.5 cents for each dollar in this tax bracket.
Copy your taxable income from Box 29 of your return to
Box 1.
1 00
2 14,000  00
Subtract Box 2 from Box 1. Print the answer in Box 3. 3 00
4 1,470  00
Multiply Box 3 by 0.175 (17.5 cents in the dollar).
5
Print the answer in Box 5.

Add Box 4 and Box 5. Print the answer in Box 6. 6

This is the tax on your taxable income. Copy it to Box 2 on page 38 of this guide.
www.ird.govt.nz 37

Use this worksheet if your taxable income is from $48,001 to $70,000.

Your tax is $7,420 plus 30 cents for each dollar in this tax bracket.

Copy your taxable income from Box 29 of your return to

Box 1.
1 00
2 48,000  00
Subtract Box 2 from Box 1. Print the answer in Box 3. 3 00
4 7,420  00
Multiply Box 3 by 0.30 (30 cents in the dollar). Print the
5
answer in Box 5.

Add Box 4 and Box 5. Print the answer in Box 6. 6

This is the tax on your taxable income. Copy it to Box 2 on page 38 of this guide.

Use this worksheet if your taxable income is $70,001 and over.

Your tax is $14,020 plus 33 cents for each dollar in this tax bracket.

Copy your taxable income from Box 29 of your return to

Box 1.
1 00
2 70,000  00
Subtract Box 2 from Box 1. Print the answer in Box 3. 3 00
4 14,020  00
Multiply Box 3 by 0.33 (33 cents in the dollar).
5
Print the answer in Box 5.

Add Box 4 and Box 5. Print the answer in Box 6. 6

This is the tax on your taxable income. Copy it to Box 2 on page 38 of this guide.
38 IR 3 INDIVIDUAL RETURN GUIDE

Question 32 Tax calculation

Use this worksheet to work out the amount of tax to pay or amount to be refunded.
Copy your taxable income from Box 29 of your return to
Box 1. If the amount is a loss, print "0.00".
1 00
Work out the tax on taxable income from pages 36 and 37 in
the guide. Print your answer in Box 2. 2
Copy this amount to Box 32 of your tax return.
Copy your tax credit from Box 30 of your return to Box 3. 3
Subtract Box 3 from Box 2. Print your answer in Box 4.
If Box 3 is larger than Box 2 print "0.00".
4
Copy your overseas tax paid, if any, from Box 17A of your
return to Box 5.
5
Subtract Box 5 from Box 4. Print your answer in Box 6.
If Box 5 is larger than Box 4 print "0.00", then read Tax paid 6
overseas on page 21 in this guide.
Copy your imputation credits, if any, from Box 14 of your
return to Box 7.
7
Copy your excess imputation credits brought forward from
Box 31 of your return to Box 8.
8
Add up your total imputation credits from Boxes 7 and 8,
and print the total in Box 9.
9
Subtract Box 9 from Box 6. Print the answer in Box 10.
If Box 9 is larger than Box 6 print "0.00", then read excess 10
imputation credits carried forward on page 39.
Copy your tax credit subtotal from Box 20A of your return
to Box 11.
11

Subtract Box 11 from Box 10. Print your answer in Box 12. 12
If Box 11 is larger than Box 10, the result is a credit. If Box 10 is
(Tick one) Credit Debit
larger than Box 11, the result is a debit.
Box 12 is your residual income tax. Copy this amount to Box 32A of your tax return.

Print any 2017 provisional tax paid in Box 13. 13

If Box 12 is a credit, add Box 13. Print the answer in Box 14.
This is your refund.
14
If Box 12 is a debit, subtract Box 13 from Box 12. Print your
answer in Box 14. This is your tax to pay. (If Box 13 is larger (Tick one) Refund Tax to pay
than Box 12 the difference is your refund.)
Please copy the answer in Box 14 above to Box 32B of your tax return.
www.ird.govt.nz 39

Excess imputation credits carried forward

Imputation credits are treated differently from RWT. If you received dividends from a New Zealand
company that gave you imputation credits or an Australian company that gave you New Zealand
imputation credits, you may have excess imputation credits to carry forward. This will only happen if
your total imputation credits (including any excess imputation credits brought forward from 2016) are
greater than your total tax payable.
Use the worksheet below to work out the excess imputation credits that must be carried forward to your
2018 tax return. We'll send you a letter confirming the amount.

Worksheet
Copy your total imputation credits from Box 9 of your tax
1
calculation on page 38 in this guide to Box 1.

Copy your total tax payable from Box 6

2
of your tax calculation on page 38 in this guide to Box 2.

Subtract Box 2 from Box 1. Print your answer in Box 3. 3

This is your excess imputation credits amount to carry forward to 2018.

Student loan
We'll work out how much of your student loan you need to repay, based on your income. If you have
an end-of-year repayment obligation we'll send you a notice showing how much is due. If you want to
calculate the amount yourself, either use the worksheet provided here or go to "Work it out" on our
website. The worksheet is for your information only and will give you an indication of your student loan
end-of-year repayment obligation.

Interest-free student loan

If you've lived in New Zealand for six months (183 days) or more, your student loan is interest-free.
Interest will be charged and then written off on a daily basis.
Even if you haven't been in New Zealand for six months, you may qualify for an interest-free student loan
if you meet the criteria for an exemption.
Go to our website www.ird.govt.nz (search keywords: interest free) for more details.

End of year repayment obligation

Repayment deductions from salary or wages are generally considered your final obligation on that
income and don't form part of your end-of-year repayment obligation.
Income from casual agricultural work and election day work doesn't have student loan deductions. This
income is excluded as salary and wage income and becomes part of adjusted net income.
40 IR 3 INDIVIDUAL RETURN GUIDE

If you have a loss from an investment or business activity, any income or deductions are excluded in
calculating your adjusted net income. If you have separate business or investment activities which are
normally carried out in association with each other, you can offset a loss from one business or investment
activity against other like income. For example, Rory has an overall loss from his landscaping business of
$7,500. He has also made a profit from his lawnmowing service of $50,000. The activities are carried out
in association with each other, so Rory can claim the $7,500 loss against the $50,000 profit.
From the 2016 tax year onwards income adjustments are now required to be part of your adjusted net
income. For a full list of the adjustments required go to www.ird.govt.nz (search keywords: adjust your
income).
You'll only have an end-of-year repayment obligation if you:
•• have adjusted net income of $1,500 or more with a total income (including salary or wages) of
$20,584 (annual repayment threshold plus $1,500) or more
•• had an interim assessment for the year.

Note
Adjusted net income is your annual gross income, excluding salary or wages and less annual total
deductions you may claim. If you have a loss from an investment or business activity, neither the
income or the deductions from that activity are included in calculating your adjusted net income. If
you have separate business or investment activities which are normally carried out in association with
each other, a loss from one business or investment activity can be offset against other like income.

Annual total deductions are the expenses and deductions you can claim for the tax year.
www.ird.govt.nz 41

Note
If you're required to file an Adjust your income (IR215) form, you can't use this worksheet to calculate
your 2017 repayment obligation. Once we have received your IR3 and your IR215 we will send you
your end-of-year repayment obligation for 2017.

Use this worksheet to calculate your 2017 repayment.

Annual repayment threshold. 1 19,084 00

Copy any gross salary or wage income (excluding casual
agricultural or election day income) from Box 11B of your 2
return to Box 2.

If Box 2 is more than Box 1 print $0.00 in Box 3, otherwise

subtract Box 2 from Box 1 and print the result in Box 3.
3
This is your unused repayment threshold you can use against your other income.

Enter your income after expenses from Box 27 of your return

(excluding any losses), less any salary and wage income from 4
Box 2 in Box 4.
Subtract Box 3 from Box 4. If the result is less than $1,500.00
print $0.00 in Box 5. Otherwise, print the result in Box 5 (this 5
is your total liable income).
Multiply the amount in Box 5 by 0.12 (12%). 6
This is your end-of-year payment obligation for the 2017 tax year.

Print any 2016 voluntary repayments made to Inland

Revenue in Box 6A.
6A
Print any 2017 interim payments made to Inland Revenue in
Box 6B.
6B

Add Boxes 6A and 6B together and print the result in Box 7. 7

Subtract Box 7 from Box 6 and print your answer in Box 8. 8

If Box 7 is less than Box 6, the difference is your end-of-year
loan repayment. Loan repayment
(Tick one)
If Box 7 is larger than Box 6, the difference is your end-of-year Overpayment
overpayment.
42 IR 3 INDIVIDUAL RETURN GUIDE

Question 33 Early payment discount

An early payment discount is available for people who:
•• are new in business
•• haven't begun to pay provisional tax
•• made payments within the corresponding income year up to their balance date, eg, a standard
balance date taxpayer, who has made a payment or payments on or before 31 March 2017 as income
tax for the period 1 April 2016 to 31 March 2017.
The discount is calculated at the rate of 6.7% of either:
•• the amount paid during the year, or
•• 105% of your end-of-year residual income tax liability,
whichever is the lesser, and is credited against your end-of-year tax bill.
To check if you qualify, work through the following flowchart.
www.ird.govt.nz 43

Do you qualify for an early payment discount?

Terms we use
Provisional tax - this is tax paid in instalments during the year, based on what you expect your
income to be, or what it was last year.
Assessable income - income that is not exempt income or excluded income (eg, a government grant
to a business). Assessable income includes undeclared business income you may have earned (eg,
cash jobs).
Year - as referred to in the diagram on the next page, year means the standard tax year from 1 April
to 31 March, unless you have an approved different balance date, in which case your income year will
end then.
If you have any questions about your entitlement to the discount, please contact us.

Are you self-employed or in a partnership Have you made a

and Yes voluntary payment
you don't use a company or trust to run No of income tax for the
your business 2017 year on or before
and 31 March 2017?
most of your income is from your business -
not interest, dividends, rents or benefits?
Yes
No

Were you liable

You don't qualify
Yes for provisional tax
during 1 April 2011 to
31 March 2017?
Yes
Did you earn assessable income from a business in a No
four-year period since you last paid provisional tax?
No For example:
Year 0. Year Year Year Year Year 5. Have you ever paid
Yes provisional tax?
You qualify You last paid 1 2 3 4 Eligible
for an early provisional for early
tax No assessable income payment
payment from a business during No
discount. To discount
this period
apply, tick
the box at
Question 33 Did you earn assessable income from a business in a Yes Have you ever claimed
on your tax four-year period since you last claimed the early payment the early payment
return. discount? For example: discount?

You claimed Year Year Year Year Year 5.

No an early 1 2 3 4 Eligible No
payment for early
discount No assessable income payment
from a business during discount
Yes this period You qualify for an early
payment discount. To
apply, tick the box at
You don't qualify Question 33 on your
tax return.
44 IR 3 INDIVIDUAL RETURN GUIDE

Question 34 Refunds and/or transfers

If you're entitled to a refund, you can:
•• transfer all or part of it to your student loan
•• transfer all or part of it to cover someone else's income tax or student loan
•• transfer all or part of it to your 2018 provisional tax
•• have it direct credited to a bank or other deposit account, eg, a building society account shown at
Question 8.
If you've made payments towards your 2018 provisional tax and, after completing this return, find you
have less or no provisional tax to pay, we can include the overpayment in the amount we refund or
transfer. Print the overpaid amount in Box 34A.

Direct credit
If you choose direct credit you get your refund faster and you can withdraw your money as soon as it's
credited because there's no clearance time.
We pay any refund direct into your New Zealand bank account or other deposit account, eg, a building
society account as soon as we've processed your return. Make sure your correct bank account number is
printed at Question 8 on the front page of your return.

Refunds of less than $5

If your refund is less than $5 we will carry it forward to your next tax assessment. We'll offset it against
any amount you may owe us or add it to any refund. If you don't want it carried forward please call us.

Transfers
If you'd like your refund transferred to another account or to arrears being paid off through an instalment
arrangement, you'll need to tell us the date you'd like your excess tax transferred (the "transfer date").
The date you can choose depends on what tax has been overpaid and whose account you want the
credit transferred to.
For more information on the rules for working out the date the transfer is available, please refer to the
tables on our website www.ird.govt.nz (search keywords: credit transfers).
www.ird.govt.nz 45

Requesting transfers on your return

You can ask us to transfer a refund to another account by filling out the boxes on page 5 of your return. If
you ask for a transfer on your return, we will transfer your refund at one of the following dates:
Transfer to your own account or an account of someone associated to you, the later of:
•• the day after your balance date (or 1 April if your balance date is before 31 March), or
•• the due date in the destination account.
Transfer to an account of someone not associated to you:
•• the day after your return was filed.
If you don't tell us the date you'd like your credit transferred, we will transfer it at a date we think gives
you the greatest advantage. If you'd like the credit transferred at a different date, you can contact us and
ask for the transfer date to be changed (including if we've transferred your credit to cover a debt).

Associated taxpayers
The following are associated taxpayers for the purposes of transferring overpaid tax:
•• a company you're a shareholder-employee in
•• a partner in the same partnership
•• a relative (eg, child, parent)
•• spouse or partner
•• a trustee of a family trust you're a beneficiary of.

Transfers requiring a separate note attached to the return

Situations such as requesting a transfer at a future date, transfer to arrears being paid off by an instalment
arrangement and transfers at a different date will require you to attach a separate note to your return
advising the following specific details.
•• The amount you want transferred.
•• The account you want it transferred to, eg, name, IRD number, tax type and period end date (and if
it's another person, whether they're associated).
•• The date you'd like the credit transferred.
•• If it is to be transferred to debt covered by an instalment arrangement.
Special rules apply if the return period has had tax pooling funds transferred in.
46 IR 3 INDIVIDUAL RETURN GUIDE

Provisional tax
Question 35 Provisional tax
Provisional tax is generally payable because you earned income during the year that either:
•• wasn't taxed, or
•• was taxed at the wrong rate.
It's usually payable in three instalments during the year (28 August 2017, 15 January 2018, 7 May 2018),
unless:
•• you have a non-standard balance date, or
•• you pay GST on a six-monthly basis, or
•• you use the GST ratio method to calculate provisional tax.
If your 2017 residual income tax (RIT) (Box 32A of your return) is more than $2,500, you'll become a
provisional tax payer and will be liable to pay 2018 provisional tax.
For more information read our guides Provisional tax (IR289) or Penalties and interest (IR240).

Initial provisional tax liability

Special rules apply when interest may be charged for an initial provisional tax liability.
You will have an initial provisional tax liability if:
•• you begin to derive income from a taxable activity during the tax year, and
•• your RIT in any of the four preceding tax years didn't exceed $2,500, and
•• your RIT for the current year is $50,000 or more.
If this applies to you, please read our guide Provisional tax (IR289).
The date you cease employment determines when interest will be charged from.
You are not liable to pay provisional tax in the year you have an initial provisional tax liability. You may
make voluntary payments to reduce your interest liability.

Interest rules if you have an initial provisional tax liability

Special rules apply to when interest may be charged for an initial provisional tax liability. If this applies to
you, please read our guide Provisional tax (IR289).

Payment options
You have three options for paying provisional tax - the standard option "S", the estimation option "E" or
the ratio option "R".

Standard option
Under this option, your 2018 provisional tax is your 2017 RIT (if it is more than $2,500) plus 5%.
www.ird.govt.nz 47

Note
If you think your income for 2018 will be more than your 2017 income, you can make voluntary
payments over and above the amount you have to pay under the standard option.

Use this worksheet to calculate your 2018 provisional tax using the standard option "S"

Copy your RIT from Box 32A of your return to Box 1. 1

Multiply Box 1 by 0.05 (5%). Print your answer in Box 2. 2

Add Box 1 and Box 2. Print your answer in Box 3.

Box 3 is your 2018 provisional tax.
3 00
Copy this amount to Box 35B of your return and print "S" in Box 35A.
Divide the amount in Box 3 by 3 to get the amount you must pay for each instalment. Record this
on page 50.

If you're filing your return after 28 August, your instalment amounts may be different.

Estimation option
Anyone can estimate provisional tax. If you expect your 2018 RIT to be lower than your 2017 RIT,
estimating will keep you from paying more than you have to.
If you choose to estimate, your estimate must be fair and reasonable at the time you make it and at each
instalment date.
You can be charged a penalty and/or interest if you don't take reasonable care when you estimate your
provisional tax.

Use this worksheet to calculate your 2018 provisional tax using the estimation option "E"

Print your estimated 2018 taxable income in Box 1. 1

Work out the tax on the amount in Box 1.

2
Print your answer in Box 2.

Print your estimated 2018 credits, such as tax credits,

3
PAYE deducted, in Box 3.

Subtract Box 3 from Box 2. Print your answer in Box 4.

4
Box 4 is your 2018 provisional tax.

Copy this amount to Box 35B of your return and print "E" in Box 35A.
Divide the amount in Box 4 by 3 to get the amount you must pay for each instalment. Record this
on page 50.
48 IR 3 INDIVIDUAL RETURN GUIDE

Ratio option
If you're GST-registered you may qualify to use the ratio option to calculate your provisional tax.
You must apply to use the ratio option, before the beginning of the income year you want to use it in.
If you've already elected to use the ratio option and want to continue using it, enter R at Box 35A.
Read our guide Provisional tax (IR289) for more information about the ratio option.

Question 36 Foreign rights disclosure

If you calculated controlled foreign company (CFC) or foreign investment fund (FIF) income at
Question 17, you may be required to complete an additional disclosure form for that investment. The
types of foreign investment that may not require an additional disclosure are investments in countries
New Zealand has a double tax agreement with as at 31 March 2017 and have used the comparative value
or fair dividend rate method.
Full details of the disclosure requirements are available in the May issue of our Tax Information Bulletin
(TIB) each year.
If you need help making a disclosure please call 0800 377 774.

What to show in your return

At Question 17 of your return include:
•• any income and tax credits from a CFC or FIF
•• any claim for BETA credits.
See page 19 to find out how to convert your overseas income and tax credits to New Zealand dollars.
For further information about CFCs and FIFs, go to www.ird.govt.nz

Question 37 Is your return for a part-year?

Read the situations listed in Question 37. If any apply to you, tick the "Yes" option and then tick the
situation that applies and fill in the start and end dates of the return period.
If you were a tax resident for the full year, but only worked part of the year, please tick the "No" option.
If you ticked "Yes", this means that your return isn't for a full year. We'll calculate your tax and income-
related tax credits and let you know what they are.
www.ird.govt.nz 49

Question 38 Notice of assessment and declaration

You must read the declaration and sign the return as being true and correct.

Self-assessment by taxpayers
Taxpayers have to assess their own liability as part of their return filing obligations. This applies to the
2002-03 and later income years. We may amend your assessment if a correction is required.
If you dispute our assessment please read our factsheet If you disagree with an assessment (IR778). The
four-month period for you to issue a notice of proposed adjustment (NOPA) to your self-assessment will
start on the date Inland Revenue receives your return.

Paying your tax

If you have tax to pay, you must pay it by 7 February 2018. If you have an agent and a standard or late
balance date you may have until 7 April 2018 to pay. If you think this may apply to you, please contact
your agent for more information. You can pay earlier if you want to.

How to make payments

Go to www.ird.govt.nz/pay to pay online or find out about these other payment options:
•• making electronic payments
•• using a credit or debit card
•• posting a cheque.
Or you can call us on 0800 775 247.

Late payment
We may charge you a late payment penalty if you miss a payment or it’s late. We’ll also charge you
interest if you don’t make your tax payment by the due date.
If you can’t pay your tax by the due date, please call us. We’ll look at your payment options, which may
include an instalment arrangement, depending on your circumstances.
Go to www.ird.govt.nz (search keywords: managing penalties) for more information.
50 IR 3 INDIVIDUAL RETURN GUIDE

Your record of payment

When you've worked out how much you have to pay, write the amounts on the schedule below. Keep it
as a record so you don't miss a payment.
The dates on the schedule apply to a person with a 31 March balance date. If your balance date is
different or you are registered for GST on a six‑monthly filing frequency or if you have a tax agent, your
payment dates may be different too. If you aren't sure, check with your tax agent or call us.

Payment schedule
These dates may vary if you have a non-standard balance date, if you have a
tax agent or if you are registered for GST on a six-monthly filing frequency.

Amount Date payable

2017 income year

Tax to pay (Box 32B of your return)

7 February 2018

2018 income year

Total provisional tax (Box 35B of your return)

First instalment (one-third)

28 August 2017

Second instalment (one-third)

15 January 2018

Third instalment (one-third)

7 May 2018

Adjusting an income tax return already filed

If you want to amend or adjust an income tax return that's already been filed, please send us a Notice of
proposed adjustment (IR770) (NOPA) through the disputes resolution process. Don't send us another
return.
www.ird.govt.nz 51

ACC personal services rehabilitation payments

If you've had a workplace injury your employer may manage these payments rather than ACC. If you or
your caregiver receive these payments, regardless of whether ACC or your employer makes them, you'll
need to read this information before you complete your return.
Any ACC personal service rehabilitation payments paid by ACC or your employer direct to the client or
caregiver, are schedular payments and will have tax deducted before the payments are made.
Depending on their circumstances, ACC clients or carers receiving ACC personal service rehabilitation
payments may not be required to file an IR3.

Do I need to file?
Are you a caregiver receiving payments from ACC, or a caregiver paid by a client?
If you earn over $14,000 from all sources of income, you're required to file an IR3.
If you earn less than $14,000, you're not required to file an IR3 because enough tax will have been
deducted during the year from these payments. However, you may have another reason to file an IR3 -
see page 5 for more information.
If you're not required to file an IR3 please call us on 0800 377 774 and we'll update our records.
Are you a client who received these payments from ACC and then passed on those payments to your
caregiver?
Because you've received these personal service rehabilitation payments from ACC to pass on to your
caregiver, we've sent you an IR3.
You're not required to file an IR3 if:
•• you have no other income
•• you're not liable for child support
•• you don't have a student loan and income over the threshold
•• your family is not entitled to Working for Families Tax Credits
•• you have no other reason to file - see page 5.
Please note the above rules apply whether or not you've passed these payments on to your caregiver.
If you're not required to file, please call us on 0800 377 774 and we'll update our records.
If you're a client or caregiver who is required to file, please read the information on the following
pages before you complete Questions 12 and 26.

Question 12 Schedular payments

If you're a caregiver paid directly by ACC
Use the income from schedular payments information on your summary of earning (SOE) to help you
complete your IR3. If you haven't received an SOE, call us on 0800 377 774 and we'll send you a copy.
If you haven't given ACC your IRD number, please include any payments that aren't on your SOE in
your IR3.
Enter the amount of tax deducted in Box 12A. Enter the total gross payments in Box 12B.
52 IR 3 INDIVIDUAL RETURN GUIDE

If you're a caregiver paid by the ACC client

Using the records you've kept on the amount of personal service rehabilitation payments you received
throughout the year, work out the gross payments to show in your return.

Calculating your gross payments

Worksheet 1. Calculating your gross payments that had 10.5% tax deducted
Print in Box 1 the total amount of payments received that
1
had 10.5% tax deducted.

Divide Box 1 by 0.895.

2
Print the answer in Box 2. This is the gross payment.

If any of your payments had the 25.5% no-notification tax rate applied, you will need to complete the
following worksheet.

Worksheet 2. Calculating your gross payments that had 25.5% tax deducted
Print in Box 3 the total amount of payments received that
3
had 25.5% tax deducted.

Divide Box 3 by 0.745

4
Print the answer in Box 4. This is the gross payment.

Total gross payments amount for the year

Worksheet 3. Calculating your total gross payment

Add Boxes 2 and 4 together and print the answer in Box 5. 5

This is the gross payment received for the year. Copy it to Box 12B of your return.

Note
If you're registered for GST, your gross schedular payment may include GST. Enter the GST-exclusive
amount at Question 12B.

Calculating your tax deducted

Worksheet 4. Calculating your available tax credit

Add Boxes 1 and 3 together and print the answer in Box 6. 6

Subtract Box 6 from Box 5 and print the answer in Box 7. 7

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Note
If you received any other income that didn't have tax deducted from it, print it in Box 24 of your
return. Staple the details of your income to the top of page 3 of your return.

If you're an ACC client

If you've kept all payments and haven't paid any of the money received from ACC to your caregiver(s),
use the amounts from schedular payments information on your SOE.
Enter the tax on schedular payments in Box 12A and enter the total gross payments in Box 12B.
If you haven't received your SOE, you can get these details from myIR secure online services or call us on
0800 377 774 and we will send you a copy.
If you haven't provided ACC with your IRD number, please include any payments that aren't on your SOE
in your IR3.
If you've passed on all the income to your caregiver(s) you don't need to include these from your SOE at
Question 12. This is because these payments, when they're all passed to your caregiver(s) throughout the
year, are considered exempt income to you.
You won't need to put any amount in Boxes 12A or 12B. Please attach a copy of the payments you made
to your caregiver(s) with your IR3.
If you've kept some of the income, you'll include the total gross payments from your SOE at Box 12B but
claim any of these payments you've passed on to your caregiver(s) as a deduction at Question 12C. Read
Question 12C Expenses related to schedular payments below.
If you haven't given ACC your IRD number, please include any payments that aren't on your SOE in your
IR3.
Please use worksheet 4 "Calculating your available tax credit" on page 55 to determine your tax
deductions. This total will be added at Question 12A. You'll also need to complete worksheets 1 to 3 on
page 52 before you can calculate your available tax credit.

Question 12C Expenses related to schedular payments

If you've kept some of the income
To help determine your allowable deduction, you'll first need to determine your caregiver's gross
payments. Complete worksheets 1 to 3 and include the amount from Box 5 at Box 12C of your IR3 return.
Please attach a copy of the payments you made to your caregiver(s) with your IR3.
54 IR 3 INDIVIDUAL RETURN GUIDE

Calculating your deduction

Worksheet 1. Calculating the gross payments you have passed to your caregiver that
had 10.5% deducted
Print in Box 1 the total amount you paid to your caregiver
1
that had 10.5% tax deducted.

Divide Box 1 by 0.895. Print the answer in Box 2. 2

This is the gross payment you made to your caregiver.

If any of your payments had the 25.5% no-notification tax rate applied you'll need to complete the
following worksheet.

Worksheet 2. Calculating the gross payments you have passed to your caregiver that
had 25.5% tax deducted
Print in Box 3 the total amount you paid to your caregiver
3
that had 25.5% deducted.

Divide Box 3 by 0.745. Print the answer in Box 4. 4

This is the gross payment you made to your caregiver.

Your allowable deduction

Worksheet 3. Calculating your allowable deduction

Add Boxes 2 and 4 together and print the answer in Box 5. 5

This is the allowable deduction. Include this amount in Box 12C of your return.

Please attach a copy of the payments you made to your caregiver(s) with your IR3.
Please use worksheet 1 on the next page to calculate the tax deducted, which you'll need to include at
Question 12A.
www.ird.govt.nz 55

Calculating your tax deducted

Worksheet 1. Calculating your available tax credit

Copy the amount from Box 5 on worksheet 3 in Box 1. 1

Add Boxes 1 and 3 on page 54. Print the answer in Box 2. 2

Subtract Box 2 from Box 1 on this worksheet and print

the answer in Box 3. This is your caregiver's available tax 3
credits.

Copy your total tax deducted amount from your SOE to

4
Box 4.

Subtract Box 3 from Box 4. Print the answer in Box 5. 5

This is the total tax deducted available to you. Copy it into Box 12A of your return.

More information
If you have any questions about your tax please go to our website www.ird.govt.nz

Accident Compensation Act 2001 (ACC)

Under the Accident Compensation Act 2001, Inland Revenue is required to provide earnings information
from your IR 3 return to the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC). ACC will begin invoicing self-
employed levies from August 2016. ACC gets the information from IR3 returns as follows:
•• Question 11A Gross earnings with PAYE deducted and earnings not liable for ACC earners' levy
•• Question 12 Schedular payments
•• Question 17 Overseas income
•• Question 18 Share of partnership income ("active" income) from the partnership's trade or business
•• Question 19 Look-through company (LTC) active income
•• Question 21 Shareholder-employee salary with no tax deducted
•• Question 23 Self-employed income
•• Question 24 Other income
•• Question 26 Other expenses.

Shareholder-employees
Other income
In addition to your shareholder's remuneration, you may also have received other income liable for
ACC levies, such as self-employed income. ACC will take your shareholder-employee remuneration into
account if invoicing for additional levies.
56 IR 3 INDIVIDUAL RETURN GUIDE

Maximum earnings from multiple companies

The maximum amount of ACC earners' levy deductions is $1,696.67. You may be due for a refund from
ACC if your shareholder-employee remuneration is from two or more companies and the combined total
is over $122,063. Please call ACC on 0508 426 837 to find out more about the refund process.

Mixed income
Mixed income earners are those who have a combination of employee (including shareholder-employee
remuneration without PAYE deducted) and self-employed earnings. If you're in this situation you have
to pay ACC levies on both sources of income, up to the maximum. ACC will invoice you for the amount
you'll have to pay.

Current year losses

If you were in full-time employment and have recorded a loss, or your earnings are below the minimum
earnings threshold, you're still liable for ACC levies. These will be calculated at the minimum level.

IR56 taxpayers
If you're a private domestic worker, you've already paid ACC earners' levy on your IR56 income as part of
your PAYE.
ACC will invoice you as an employer for other levies payable on your IR56 income. If you also receive
other income liable for ACC levies, we'll pass this information to ACC to invoice levies on this income.
ACC will make allowance for levies paid as an employer.

Further information
If you have any queries about ACC or levies payable, go to www.acc.co.nz/productslevies or contact the
ACC Business Service Centre:
Phone 0508 426 837
Fax 0800 222 003
Email business@acc.co.nz
www.ird.govt.nz 57

Services you may need

Need to speak with us?
Have your IRD number ready and call us on one of these numbers:
General tax, tax credits and refunds 0800 775 247
Employer enquiries 0800 377 772
General business tax 0800 377 774
Overdue returns and payments 0800 377 771
Our contact centre hours are 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday, and Saturday between 9am and 1pm.
We record all calls. Our self-service lines are open at all times and offer a range of automated options,
especially if you’re enrolled with voice ID.
For more information go to www.ird.govt.nz/contact-us

0800 self-service numbers

This service is available to callers seven days a week except between 5am and 6am each day. Just make
sure you have your IRD number ready when you call.
For access to your account-specific information, you’ll need to be enrolled with voice ID or have a PIN.
Registering for voice ID is easy and only takes a few minutes. Call 0800 257 843 to enrol.
Order publications and taxpacks 0800 257 773
Request a summary of earnings 0800 257 778
Request a personal tax summary 0800 257 444
Confirm a personal tax summary 0800 257 771
All other services 0800 257 777
When you call, just confirm what you want from the options given. If you need to talk with us, we’ll
re-direct your call to someone who can help you.

If you have a complaint about our service

We’re committed to providing you with a quality service. If there’s a problem, we’d like to know about
it and have the chance to fix it. You can call the staff member you’ve been dealing with or, if you’re not
satisfied, ask to speak with their team leader/manager. If your complaint is still unresolved, you can
contact our Complaints Management Service. For more information, go to www.ird.govt.nz (search
keyword: complaints) or call us on 0800 274 138 between 8am and 5pm weekdays.
If you disagree with how we’ve assessed your tax, you may need to follow a formal disputes process. For
more information, read our factsheet If you disagree with an assessment (IR778).
58 IR 3 INDIVIDUAL RETURN GUIDE

Privacy
Meeting your tax obligations means giving us accurate information so we can assess your liabilities or
your entitlements under the Acts we administer. We may charge penalties if you don’t.
We may also exchange information about you with:
•• some government agencies
•• another country, if we have an information supply agreement with them
•• Statistics New Zealand (for statistical purposes only).
If you ask for the personal information we hold about you, we’ll give it to you and correct any errors,
unless we have a lawful reason not to. Call us on 0800 775 247 for more information. For full details of
our privacy policy go to www.ird.govt.nz (search keyword: privacy).
www.ird.govt.nz 59
Classified Inland Revenue - Public