How is income taxed on a working holiday visa?

You are taxed through PAYE on the same brackets as everyone else, with the ACC earners levy deducted too. You need an IRD number and the right tax code; without an IRD number a higher no-declaration rate applies, so get one early.

Can I get a tax refund when I leave?

If you worked only part of the year, too much tax may have been deducted because PAYE assumes a full year of income. A year-end assessment can refund the difference, so it is worth checking before you leave.

Do working holidaymakers pay the ACC levy?

Yes, the ACC earners levy is deducted from wages like for any worker, and it gives you ACC injury cover while you are here.

Working Holiday Tax Calculator

This New Zealand calculator estimates the tax on your earnings while here on a working holiday visa, applying PAYE and the ACC earners levy on the standard brackets. It shows your take-home pay and, because PAYE assumes a full year of income, flags that working only part of the year can mean too much tax is deducted, with a possible refund at the year-end square-up. You enter your hourly rate and weeks worked.

Hourly rate

Hours per week

Weeks worked in the tax year

estimated take-home over the period

Gross earned$0

PAYE + ACC$0

Possible year-end refund$0

Uses the 2025/2026 brackets and the ACC earners levy. The possible refund estimates tax that PAYE may over-deduct because it assumes you earn at that rate all year; the actual square-up depends on your total annual income. Get an IRD number to avoid the no-declaration rate. Estimate only.

How it works

The calculator works out your gross over the weeks worked, then deducts PAYE as your employer would (annualising your weekly pay), plus the ACC earners levy. Because PAYE assumes you earn at that weekly rate for the full year, someone who works only part of a year often has tax over-deducted; the calculator estimates that difference as a possible refund you could receive at the year-end assessment.

Worked example

At $27 an hour, 40 hours a week for 30 weeks, you earn about $32,400 gross. PAYE and ACC on the annualised rate take more than your true annual liability, so part of that may come back as a refund when you square up, often worth claiming before you leave.

Related calculators

PAYE Calculator: tax on your pay.
Tax Refund Calculator: estimate a refund.
Take Home Pay Calculator: net pay.
Tax Code Picker: the right tax code.

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