2008 media releases
Time running out for student loan amnesty
10 January 2008
Inland Revenue is urging borrowers who are eligible for the student loan amnesty to apply by the deadline of 31 March 2008.
The amnesty is available to student loan borrowers who have been living overseas and have fallen behind in their repayments.
Eligible borrowers will either have late payment penalties reversed or not applied to their account - but they must apply for the amnesty by 31 March 2008 to avoid a further one-off penalty being added to their loan balance.
"Thousands of eligible borrowers have already applied, but we know there are many who haven't. Time is running out for them to make a fresh start," said Valerie Walton, Student Loan Programme Manager.
To be eligible, borrowers need to have been overseas on 31 March 2006 and to have fallen behind in their repayments. They could have returned to New Zealand by now or still be overseas.
"We hope that friends and family will remind eligible student loan borrowers about the amnesty when they get in touch with them or see them over the summer period.
"As part of their application, borrowers must agree to keep up with their student loan repayment obligations for two years, at which time if they are still overseas they can apply for the student loan repayment holiday," Ms Walton says.
Visit www.ird.govt.nz/studentloans for more information on eligibility criteria, how to apply and amnesty conditions.
Other media releases this year
- Accountant sentenced for tax evasion
- Invercargill accountant jailed for tax evasion
- Dairy owner sentenced for hiding half a million
- Tauranga court jails man for tax evasion
- Most Working for Families recipients not charged interest for overpayments
- Former Kaikohe farm manager jailed for tax evasion
- Auckland plasterer jailed for tax evasion
- New callback service rolled out across Call Centre
- Former employee sentenced
- KiwiSaver report released
- Inland Revenue expands e-services
- Do-it-yourself tax refunds
- Employers reminded about new tax rates
- Former Inland Revenue employee pleads guilty to corruption
- Sentencing strong message for contractors
- Accountant jailed for defrauding clients and Inland Revenue
- Inland Revenue pilots callback system to help customers
- Inland Revenue proposes changes to company tax return
- Agricultural contractor sentenced
- Jail for horticultural student
- Tax fraud results in jail term
- Thousands apply for student loan amnesty
- Early Working for Families Tax Credits payments
- Inland Revenue wins People's Choice NetGuide web award for second time
- Waikato couple sentenced for tax evasion
- Inland Revenue warns about income diversion
- Report of investigation of an error in tax revenue numbers
- Tax credits for people made redundant
- R&D tax credit goes live
- Student Loan amnesty - last chance to apply
- Revised financial statements
- Tax advice for investors in failed finance companies
- Tax advice for property investors
- Provisional tax gets easier
- Early Working for Families Tax Credits payments
- IRD numbers about to get longer
- Tax authorities work together to stop international tax evasion
- Inland Revenue helps drought-affected farmers
- IRD numbers available at NZ Post and AA
- Inland Revenue warns against divulging personal details
- Second jail term for major tax scam
- Welcome surprise for owners of forgotten money
- End-of-year tax date fast approaching
Corporate Affairs
Inland Revenue
To make a media query:
Phone 04 890 1698 or email mediaqueries@ird.govt.nz
Please note, the email address is only for enquiries from the news media. It is monitored during normal business hours 8am - 5pm Monday to Friday.
P O Box 2198
Wellington 6140
New Zealand
Date published: 14 Jan 2008
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