How do I work out gross salary from net pay?

You reverse the tax calculation: find the gross salary that, after PAYE and the ACC earners levy, leaves your desired take-home. Because tax is progressive, this calculator searches for the gross figure that produces your target net.

Why is gross so much higher than net?

Gross pay has PAYE income tax and the ACC earners levy taken out before you receive it, and KiwiSaver if you contribute. The higher your income, the larger the share taken in tax, so the gap between gross and net widens.

Does this include KiwiSaver?

This calculator works back to the gross before KiwiSaver, covering PAYE and the ACC levy. If you contribute to KiwiSaver, your actual take-home would be a little lower, so you would need a slightly higher gross.

Net to Gross Salary Calculator

This calculator answers a common New Zealand pay question in reverse: if you want a certain amount landing in your bank account each pay, what gross salary do you need to be paid before tax? Most salary tools start from gross and work forward to net, but here you start from the take-home figure you actually care about and the calculator works backwards, testing gross salaries until it finds the one that, once PAYE income tax and the ACC earners levy are deducted, leaves you with exactly the net amount you asked for. You enter your desired take-home pay as an annual figure and choose whether to view the result per year, month, fortnight or week. The calculator then returns the gross salary required, along with a breakdown showing the PAYE and ACC levy that would be deducted and the resulting net pay, so you can check the numbers add up. This is useful when negotiating a job offer or pay rise stated in gross terms, or when budgeting backwards from a savings goal. Results are based on current PAYE tax brackets and the ACC earners levy, and exclude KiwiSaver and student loan repayments, both of which would push the required gross figure slightly higher. Treat the outcome as a planning estimate rather than tax advice.

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Desired take-home (net) per year

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gross salary needed

PAYE$0

ACC levy$0

Net$0

Based on the 2026/2027 tax brackets and the ACC earners levy (1.75% incl GST, up to the maximum liable earnings). Excludes KiwiSaver and student loan, which would require a slightly higher gross. Estimate only, not tax advice.

How it works

Because PAYE is progressive, you cannot simply divide the net by a single tax rate. The calculator searches for the gross salary that, once PAYE and the ACC earners levy are deducted, leaves exactly your target take-home. It shows the gross, the PAYE and ACC taken out, and confirms the net, so you can ask for the right gross figure with confidence.

Worked example

To take home $60,000 a year, you would need a gross salary of roughly $76,500, with about $15,200 in PAYE and $1,300 in ACC levy. The exact figure depends on the brackets, which is why the calculator searches for it rather than using a flat rate.

Related calculators

PAYE Calculator: gross to net.
Gross-Up Pay Calculator: includes KiwiSaver.
Take Home Pay Calculator: your net pay.
Salary Calculator: full breakdown.

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