Te utu mai i tāwāhi Paying from overseas

You can make payments to us with Visa and Mastercard credit and debit cards from overseas.

You’ll need to check with your bank or provider to make sure you are clear about international fees. Also, banks often charge a convenience fee of 1.42% for credit and debit card payments. 

From 28 October 2021 the convenience fee will no longer be waived for overseas child support and student loan payments.

Pay using a credit or debit card - with myIR 

You can also pay using a credit or debit card if you do not have a myIR account. You'll need:

• your IRD number
• the account you're making the payment for.

Pay using a credit or debit card - without myIR

Setting up direct debit payments in myIR

If you're in Australia, the United Kingdom, Europe (Single European Payments Area), Canada or the United States, there is a new way to set up direct debit payments in your myIR account.

To get set up, you'll first need to create a direct debit agreement with Inland Revenue. You only need to do this once. This tells us which bank account you'll be using for direct debit payments. You'll have an option to choose your country or region before entering your bank account details.

Set up a direct debit agreement with us

Next, you'll be able to make direct debit payments for your accounts with us. You specify and approve each payment that you set up. You can choose between making a single, one-off payment or multiple, ongoing payments.

Make a one-off direct debit payment

Make ongoing direct debit payments

If you do not have an amount to pay, you will not get the direct debit payment option. If there is an amount to pay, you'll be able to pay the full or partial amount by direct debit. 

Making a money transfer

You can also make a payment to us through money transfer sites. The following sites, in most cases, do not charge fees for making international payments to us. Payment through any money transfer site (including those listed below) is done so at your own risk: 

Convera
Previously Western Union Business Solutions.

OFX

OrbitRemit 

xe.com

These businesses will generally let you know where to enter the information we need. However, if they do not, or you use a different site or a bank to send us a money transfer, you'll need to make sure you give us:

• your IRD number
• the tax type you are making the payment toward
• the period date the payment is for.

You need to write these in the reference field when you make the payment if you're not otherwise asked for them.

If you are a service provider that provides money transfer services, you can get in touch with IR.

Transfer fees

In most cases the sites listed above do not charge fees for making international payments to us.

New Zealand banks that receive the money you transfer may charge a fee. Make sure you check if they do, and allow for this in the amount you send us so you do not have less going to your student loan than you thought. We bank with Westpac, you can check their fees for receiving transfers on their website.

International service fees - westpac.co.nz

Telegraphic transfer sample form

The sample form below is an example of the information you'll need. However, you'll need to contact your bank for their specific form to make such a payment.