Final Pay When You Leave a Job

👋 The Last Payment From an Employer

When you leave a job, whether you resign, are made redundant, or are dismissed, your employer must pay you a final pay. It is more than just your last normal wages. It also includes any leave you have earned but not taken, and it is calculated under the Holidays Act. Final pay is one of the most common places for payroll errors, so it pays to understand what should be in it.

                Key Point: Your final pay should include your normal pay up to your last day, plus any unused annual leave paid out, plus any other amounts owed such as outstanding wages or agreed entitlements. Unused sick leave is generally not paid out. Final pay is usually paid in the pay run for your last period of work, unless your agreement says otherwise.
            

What Final Pay Typically Includes

Wages or salary up to and including your last day worked.
Payment for annual leave you have earned but not taken.
Any leave entitlement that arose on an anniversary you reached.
Other amounts owed, such as outstanding allowances or agreed bonuses.

🌴 How Unused Annual Leave Is Paid Out

The biggest extra in most final pays is unused annual leave. Any annual leave you were entitled to but had not taken is paid out, and the calculation can be more involved than people expect, because it follows the Holidays Act rules rather than a simple hourly figure.

Two Parts to the Leave Payout

Leave that you had already become entitled to (from a past anniversary) and leave that has been building since your last anniversary are treated slightly differently in the calculation, but both should be paid. The result reflects your earnings, so people with variable pay should see that reflected, not just a base rate.

Wages up to your last day are calculated

Entitled but untaken annual leave is paid out

Leave accrued since your last anniversary is also paid

Any advance leave or agreed deductions are subtracted

The total is your final pay, before tax

                Variable pay matters: Because leave is paid using the greater of ordinary and average earnings, regular overtime or commission should lift your leave payout. If your final leave payout looks like base pay only, it is worth questioning.
            

✄ Deductions and Tax

What Can Be Deducted

An employer can only make deductions from your final pay that are required by law, or that you have agreed to in writing, or that are specifically allowed in your employment agreement. They cannot simply take money for things like till shortages or breakages without a lawful basis and, usually, your agreement.

Common deduction	Allowed?
PAYE tax, student loan, KiwiSaver	Yes, required by law where they apply
Leave taken in advance	Often yes, where agreed
An agreed amount you owe (in writing)	Yes, with proper agreement
Random charges with no agreement	No

Tax on Final Pay

Final pay is taxable like normal pay. A lump sum of leave can sometimes push you into a higher tax slice for that pay period, and lump-sum payments such as some redundancy or bonus amounts have their own tax treatment. The end-of-year tax process squares this up, so an unusually large final pay does not always mean the tax was wrong.

                Redundancy is separate: If you are made redundant, any redundancy compensation is on top of your normal final pay entitlements, and it has its own rules. Do not confuse a redundancy payment with the leave and wages you are owed regardless.
            

💡 Checking Your Final Pay

A Simple Check

1. Confirm wages to your last day are correct

2. Check your annual leave balance was paid out

3. Confirm any deductions were ones you agreed to or are lawful

4. Check overtime or commission is reflected in leave pay

5. Compare the total against your own rough estimate

If Something Looks Wrong

Raise it with your employer first, in writing, setting out what you think is missing. Many final-pay problems are genuine payroll mistakes that are fixed once pointed out. If it is not resolved, free help is available, and Employment New Zealand publishes the rules and a process for unpaid entitlements.

Tools and Timing

Final pay is normally paid in the pay cycle covering your last day, unless your employment agreement sets a different time. Estimate the pieces with our Final Pay Calculator, the Holiday Pay Calculator, and the Take-Home Pay Calculator for the after-tax figure.

Final word: your final pay is wages to your last day plus unused annual leave, minus only lawful or agreed deductions, taxed like normal pay. Check each part, because this is where underpayments most often hide. This is general information, not legal advice.

🎯 Test Your Knowledge

Quiz on Final Pay When You Leave a Job (20 Questions)

1. Final pay is owed when you:

Resign, are made redundant, or are dismissed

Only when you retire

Only if the employer agrees

Never

2. Final pay includes more than last wages because it also covers:

Unused annual leave paid out

Future wages

Your KiwiSaver balance

Your tax refund

3. Unused sick leave in final pay is:

Generally not paid out

Always paid out

Doubled

Converted to cash automatically

4. Annual leave in final pay is calculated under:

The Holidays Act rules, not just an hourly figure

A random formula

The employee guess

No rules

5. Leave payout should reflect:

Your earnings, including regular overtime or commission

Base pay only

The minimum wage only

Nothing

6. Leave accrued since your last anniversary is:

Also paid in your final pay

Lost

Paid only after a year

Ignored

7. An employer can deduct from final pay only amounts that are:

Required by law, agreed in writing, or allowed by the agreement

Whatever they choose

For any reason

Always unlimited

8. Taking money for a till shortage with no agreement is:

Not allowed

Always allowed

Required by law

Tax deductible

9. Which deductions are required by law where they apply?

PAYE tax, student loan, KiwiSaver

None

Only KiwiSaver

Random fees

10. Leave taken in advance can often be:

Deducted from final pay where agreed

Never deducted

Paid twice

Ignored

11. Final pay is:

Taxable like normal pay

Tax free

Taxed at zero

Exempt forever

12. A large lump sum of leave can sometimes:

Push you into a higher tax slice for that pay period

Avoid tax

Lower your annual income

Cancel your tax code

13. Redundancy compensation is:

On top of normal final pay entitlements, with its own rules

The same as leave pay

Instead of wages owed

Never paid

14. A good first check on final pay is:

Confirm wages to your last day are correct

Ignore it

Spend it first

Assume it is wrong and quit

15. If overtime is missing from your leave pay, you should:

Question it, since regular overtime should be reflected

Accept base pay only

Do nothing

Pay it back

16. If your final pay looks wrong, the first step is to:

Raise it with your employer in writing

Tell no one

Take legal action immediately

Refuse to leave

17. Final pay is normally paid:

In the pay cycle covering your last day, unless the agreement differs

Months later always

Never

Only in cash

18. Free help with unpaid entitlements is:

Available, with rules published by Employment New Zealand

Not available

Only for managers

Very expensive

19. Which is generally NOT part of final pay?

Unused sick leave paid out

Wages to your last day

Unused annual leave

Amounts agreed and owed

20. The best summary of final pay is:

Wages to your last day plus unused annual leave, minus only lawful or agreed deductions

Only your last wages

Whatever the employer feels like

A tax-free bonus

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