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Budget 2025 | The Government has introduced changes to Working for Families and KiwiSaver as well as introducing Investment Boost: an immediate tax deduction when acquiring new business assets. Find out more: www.budget.govt.nz

This category is limited to the registration, assessment and processing of tax obligations and other entitlements, including associated review and Crown accounting activities, and the collection and sharing of related information with other agencies.

What we do

We deliver efficient and effective registration, assessment and processing of tax obligations and entitlements. This contributes to the availability of revenue to fund government programmes as well as ensuring that customers receive payments they’re entitled to. 

How we performed

Our processing performance measures focus on timeliness and efficiency for the key services and activities that affect customers. Our systems and more automated processes have made us more efficient in the processing of customers’ returns, registrations, payments and refunds.

In 2023–24 we:

  • processed 12.5 million returns (income tax, GST and employer information)
  • issued 1.2 million refunds (income tax and GST)
  • transferred $10.4 billion to KiwiSaver scheme providers
  • processed 682,000 registrations

Performance measure results

This year, we achieved 7 out of 8 targets, similar to 2022–23 when we achieved 10 out of 11 targets.

Performance measures and if they were achieved.
Performance measure 2022-23 actual 2023-24 target 2023-24 actual 2024-25 target
Percentage of social policy and tax registrations processed within 5 working days 85.0% 85% 86.8% (achieved) 85%
Percentage of income tax refund disbursements resulting from a return issued within 5 weeks 87.0% 85% 86.6% (achieved) 85%
Percentage of GST refund disbursements issued within 4 weeks1 96.6% 95% 97.1% (achieved) 95%
Percentage of income tax returns finalised within 3 weeks 99.5% 95% 99.0% (achieved) 95%
Percentage of GST returns finalised within 3 weeks 99.96%2 98% 99.92% (achieved) 98%
Percentage of KiwiSaver contributions passed to scheme providers within 3 days
New Measure 95% 99.4% (achieved) 98% see here
Average cost of processing income tax returns, GST returns and employment information $1.48 $1.75 or less $2.16 (not achieved) $1.75 or less
Not achieved—This measure demonstrates the cost-effectiveness of our processing activities. With most processing now being systems-based, system costs including depreciation are a key driver of this measure. As our new operating model has bedded down, results for this measure have varied from $2.92 in 2018–19 to $1.35 in 2021–22. Over the last few years we have stretched the target from $3.50 in 2021–22 to $1.75 from 2023–24. 
Percentage of child support assessments issued within 2 weeks 81.1% 80% 83.9% (achieved) 80%

All targets are unaudited.


1Section 46 of the Goods and Services Tax Act 1985 stipulates that refunds are to be issued within 15 working days unless selected for screening or investigation. The 4 weeks issuing timeframe allows additional time to include those selected for screening or investigation in our performance.

2This result as reported in the 2023 Annual Report was 100%. We are providing the result to 2 decimal places in this year’s report.

What it cost

Output statement for the year ended 30 June 2024.
  Actual 2023 ($000) Actual 2024 ($000) Unaudited revised budget 2024 ($000) Unaudited budget 2024 ($000) Unaudited forecast 2025 ($000)
Revenue
Revenue from the Crown $146,613 $183,821 $183,821 $162,084 $150,271
Other revenue $3,597 $3,493 $3,634 $3,634 $3,634
Total revenue $150,210 $187,314 $187,455 $165,718 $153,905
Total expenses $140,286 $180,385 $187,455 $165,718 $153,905
Net surplus or (deficit) $9,924 $6,929 - - -
Last updated: 05 Dec 2024
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