How voluntary agreements work

With a voluntary agreement, you and the other parent or carer agree on a child support amount and register it with us, and we collect payments and pass them on for you.

You can change the amount if all parents and carers agree, but you need to send in a new form each time.

How to set one up

The parents and carers agree on how much child support should be – at least $10 a week/$520 a year.

Then you fill out an IR102 form to register the agreement with us. The parents and carers must sign it.

If you meet the requirements, we’ll send each of you a letter saying we’ve accepted your registration. We’ll then manage the payments for you, including following up when payments are overdue.

Register a voluntary agreement

Who can use them

To register a voluntary agreement with us, both parents or carers need to be New Zealand citizens or ordinarily resident - for New Zealand to be their main home.

It's good to use a voluntary agreement if you:

• can agree on who should pay and how much
• want us to collect and pass on payments
• want us to follow up on missed payments.

If you get the Unsupported Child’s Benefit

If you're getting the Unsupported Child's Benefit (UCB), you can only register or continue with a voluntary agreement if the amount is the same or higher than it would be with a formula assessment.

The Government keeps the child support up to the amount of UCB you were paid, and any extra goes to you. For example, if your UCB is $300, but your child support is $350. The Government keeps $300, and we pay you the remaining $50. .

Formula assessment

Working out how much to pay

If you'd like help agreeing on an amount, you can use our child support payment calculator to work out what you could pay or receive under a formula assessment.

Child support payment calculator

Making payments

Once we accept a registration, we send out notices to each parent or carer showing who should pay and how much.

Payments are due to us by the 20th of the following month, then paid to the receiving carer by the 23rd of the same month.

Payment cycles and due dates
Making payments - paying parents

Ending voluntary agreements

A voluntary agreement ends when:

• you, the other parent or the child no longer qualify for child support
• the receiving carer cancels the agreement
• the agreement expires
• either person applies for a formula assessment.

Check the requirements for getting or cancelling child support.

Can you get child support?
Cancelling child support

If your arrangement stops working

If your voluntary agreement is not working out, either parent can apply for a formula assessment at any time. This will automatically cancel the voluntary agreement.

Or, you can cancel your voluntary agreement and arrange your own payments privately, without us being involved. This is the most flexible option for child support.

Get in touch as soon as possible to talk about your options.

Formula assessments
Private agreements