Calling on the 40,000 Irish workers in or back from New Zealand – don’t leave money behind

With almost 40,000 Irish workers having travelled to New Zealand since the Recession, many have returned in recent years as the Irish economy improves and work becomes more readily available. But leading tax refund specialists www.taxback.com say that they would guestimate that 50% of returnees could have left money behind in the form of tax refunds.

In light of this, www.taxback.com have launched their “Bullsh*t-Free Guide to New Zealand Working Holiday Taxes”

Eileen Devereux, Commercial Director with of www.taxback.com spoke of the number of workers involved,

“The most recent stats show that between June 2009, which was approximately a year after the Recession hit the country, and January 2017, 4,008 Irish workers were approved for residency visas in NZ and 33,226 Irish Workers were granted work visas. Thankfully, the economy has improved since then and the nation is now calling out for our Irish workforce to return home – particularly in the construction industry. So, of the thousands returning from New Zealand in the last few years, as a leading tax refund provider in the country, our experience would suggest that more than half of returnees are not completing the necessary tax filing requirements – and could be missing out on significant tax refunds as a result.”

The online resource provides New Zealand working holidaymakers with an easy-to-access, easy-to-use tax guide that will enable them to understand how the New Zealand tax system works, what reliefs are available to them and how they can go about claiming their tax refund.

Ms. Devereux explained why, they believe, people don’t claim what’s owed to them,
“To put it simply – people find tax confusing. And understandably so. When people come home their focus tends to be on setting up the financial affairs here rather than tying them up in New Zealand. But our message is that people should do both!

“Millions of dollars in tax refunds go unclaimed by working holidaymakers every year and it’s down to many misconceptions and a lack of awareness around tax. But when you consider the fact that the average New Zealand tax refund with Taxback.com is $550, it’s easy to see that is worth claiming what you’re owed.”

Topics covered in the Guide

• New Zealand Tax for working holidaymakers – the Basics
• Residency Status
• Tax Rates
• Double Tax Agreements
• Important tax forms and documents
• Lodging a tax return
• Claiming your tax refund
• And more

Ms. Devereux concluded,

“While it might be argued that Australia is the “second home” of the Irish in the Southern hemisphere, New Zealand has always had a steady flow of workers to the country. Anecdotal evidence has told us that aside from the availability of work, New Zealand attracts Irish people due to the somewhat similar, culture, climate and cost of living.”

Irish in NZ Info – https://www.newzealandnow.govt.nz/why-choose-nz/compare-new-zealand/ireland
The cost of living in New Zealand is pretty much comparable to that of any OECD country. Mercer’s 2017 Cost of Living Survey rated Dublin the world’s 66th most expensive city to live in while Auckland was 61st and our capital city Wellington the 86th.
To work in the country, young people from the Republic of Ireland (aged 18-30) can apply for a working holiday visa that allows up to 12 months in New Zealand. Alternatively, workers may be able to apply for a skilled migrant visa that lets you live and work in New Zealand indefinitely.

While Ireland’s sunniest spot (the south east coast) gets around 1600 sunshine hours a year, New Zealand’s three major cities all get over two thousand hours a year.

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