This New Zealand specific calculator lets anyone with more than one source of income work out their true total tax across all of it, rather than guessing at the secondary tax codes that so often produce a year-end bill or refund. You enter each job or income stream and the tool combines them, applies the correct progressive tax brackets to your total, and shows how much PAYE should be deducted overall versus what each separate employer is likely taking out. It explains why secondary tax can feel high, models different secondary code choices, and estimates whether you are heading for a refund or a bill at the square-up. A full breakdown shows the tax on each income layer, the ACC earners levy, and your blended effective rate, so you can set the right codes from the start and avoid surprises.
| Tax bracket | Rate | Tax from this bracket |
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Estimate only, based on the 2025/2026 tax year. Tax rates, thresholds and the ACC earners levy change over time, so check the current figures. This is general information, not tax advice.
Your total income tax in New Zealand depends only on your total income, not on how it is split between jobs. The calculator adds your income streams together, then fills the progressive tax brackets from the bottom up, so the first dollars are taxed at the lowest rate and only income above each threshold is taxed at the higher rate. It adds the ACC earners levy, which applies to your earnings up to a yearly maximum, and shows your take-home and blended effective rate.
Your main job uses a primary tax code that starts at the lowest bracket. A second job uses a secondary tax code, which deducts at a flat rate set roughly at the marginal rate your total income reaches, because those dollars sit on top of your main income. That is why it looks high, but it is not extra tax, it is simply collecting the right rate on income that would otherwise be under-taxed. If the secondary rate is set too low, you face a bill at year end; too high, a refund.
Someone earning $65,000 from a main job and $15,000 from a second job has a total income of $80,000. The tax is worked out on the full $80,000 across the brackets, not on each job separately. The second job income largely falls in the 30% band, which is why a secondary code around that rate is appropriate.
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