FAQs:
Creating Your Account

TaxRefunds.co.nz Ltd is an independent IRD-approved tax agent working for you, not the IRD. We are a private limited liability company, registered with the Companies Office of New Zealand and certified for e-filing by the IRD. Our online and 0800 support centre is staffed by New Zealanders living and working in Christchurch.

The TaxRefunds.co.nz trust account is audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers.

For more information see About Us.

If you apply for a free estimate with TaxRefunds.co.nz Ltd we will become your new registered tax agent. This means your previous registered tax agent will no longer be your tax agent.

To get a free refund estimate you need to create your TaxRefunds.co.nz account. TaxRefunds.co.nz is New Zealand’s first certified internet e-file agent. Part of our strict security and privacy guidelines is the inclusion of a secure account.

For security of your personal details we require you to create a secure password protected account using your IRD number. It is the best way to keep your personal details secure. Once you log on, you can use your account to update your details, including changing your password, check the whereabouts of your refund or use the support centre to ask any questions. Using the support centre means we can prioritise your refund and easily track it through the refund process.

Yes, any information the company obtains in the course of this engagement is subject to confidentiality requirements, in addition to obligations under the Privacy Act 1993. TaxRefunds.co.nz Ltd will not disclose that information to other parties without your express consent, except as required by law.

An IRD number is a unique number issued to you by the Inland Revenue Department and is the method by which the IRD identifies you. Your number will be an 8- or 9-digit number in the range of “10-000-000” to “999-999-999”. We require this number along with your other personal details before we can check if you are due a tax refund, and to form your secure password protected account.

If you do not know your IRD number, check any correspondence you have from the Inland Revenue Department or contact your employer.

Your full name and date of birth are required to confirm your identity and to create an account so you can receive your free no-obligation estimate. This is a further form of security that your identity is true and correct.

To assist in accurately calculating the exact amount of tax refund that you are owed we may require further information. Your email address and contact telephone number will be used for this purpose and for communicating with you throughout the process of receiving your free estimate to claiming your refund. We send regular notification emails to your email address so please double check that you provide your correct email address. This ensures the quick and efficient processing of any requests. If your email address or phone number changes, please let us know as soon as possible by updating your personal details through your secure TaxRefunds.co.nz account.

If your email address or phone number is incorrect, which sometimes happens, and we cannot reach you we may need to contact you by post. By supplying your current full physical and postal address we can contact you for further information that will assist us in accurately calculating the amount of tax refund you are owed. If your postal or physical address changes please let us know as soon as possible. You can update these details through your secure TaxRefunds.co.nz account under “Edit Account — Address Details”.

This is a new requirement brought in by the IRD on 1 January 2010 to reduce the risk of fraud. Before we can proceed with claiming your refunds, TaxRefunds.co.nz must check one of the following forms of ID: driver licence, firearms licence, student ID, passport, marriage certificate, or birth certificate along with a recent photo of yourself.

Our system only identifies refunds for New Zealand wage and salary earners. In receiving a free refund estimate we do not send any information to the IRD. As a New Zealand wage and salary earner you are not obliged to file a tax return.

The IRD do randomly assess a small percentage of salary and wage earners each year, so there is a slim chance you will be assessed regardless of whether you use our service or not. A few taxpayers have their refunds redirected by IRD to cover tax that has already been assessed and is overdue, this usually relates to non-payment of child support and student loans.

It is important to update your personal details so we can keep in touch with you throughout the refund process. You can alter your personal details at anytime online; through your secure TaxRefunds.co.nz account using your IRD number as your username and the password you generated when you created your account. Please go to “Edit Account” to do this.

If you forget your password, go to top of the page and click “Recover Password”. We will send an email to the address you supplied, issuing you with a new password. Use this password with your IRD number as your username to log on your account and change your password in your account profile.

Your details will not be passed onto the IRD unless your free estimate is for a refund, at which time we claim your refund from the IRD on your behalf.

When you submit to get a free refund estimate.

A tax agent ensures all your taxation is correct and up-to-date. All tax agents must be registered with the Tax Agents’ Board and must follow strict regulations that ensure they act in a professional manner

Being your tax agent enables us to view your records held by the IRD. Records include your earning details, employer details and taxation details. Some records we cannot view without special permission from you, even as your tax agent, such an example is child support arrears.

As your tax agent, correspondence from the IRD is sent to us on your behalf and we forward any correspondence onto you to ensure your taxation is up-to-date. Being your tax agent means we can claim your refund for you. The IRD independently assesses a certain amount of tax returns every tax year.

If you do not wish to continue being linked to TaxRefunds.co.nz you can phone us on 0800 526 527 and ask to be taken off our Tax Agency client list. Or you can log on your account and send a support request to the online support centre asking to be taken off our Tax Agency client list. Please note we cannot take you off our Tax Agency client list when we are in the process of “claiming your refund”, but will do so afterwards.

View the Terms and Conditions.

The IRD will send you a generic letter stating that you have now been linked to TaxRefunds.co.nz Ltd. It will state the most current tax year but this does not mean we will be processing that tax year. In getting a free estimate and agreeing to the terms and conditions you authorise TaxRefunds.co.nz as your Tax Agent to claim your refund on your behalf. We only process claims with the IRD for years in which you are due a refund.

Appointing TaxRefunds.co.nz as your Tax Agent allows us to access your earnings information from the IRD e-services website and claim any refunds on your behalf from the IRD.

The IRD e-services website is available only for registered tax agents and chartered accountants within NZ to view and is a secure website.

“Linking” is when your IRD number gets linked to TaxRefunds.co.nz as your tax agent. You can only be linked to 1 tax agent at a time. “Linking” to TaxRefunds.co.nz will result in any income tax related documents being mailed to TaxRefunds.co.nz Ltd’s address for us to establish whether or not the correct amount of taxation has been calculated. Documents such as Working for Families and Student Loan will continue to be mailed to you.

Once you receive a free estimate and if it is for a refund, we will claim the refund, (or file it on your behalf to the IRD). TaxRefunds.co.nz has among the lowest commercial rates in the country for claiming your refund.

The bank account the IRD hold for your IRD number will be updated to our Client Trust Account in the name of TaxRefunds.co.nz Trust Account, which is fully audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Your refund is processed into the Trust Account and TaxRefunds.co.nz Ltd then deposits your refund, less the filing fee, directly into your bank account. This is more secure than posting out a cheque. We update the status of your refund application in your secure TaxRefunds.co.nz account and email you regular updates along the way.

You can use your TaxRefunds.co.nz account to get for a free refund estimate, authorise TaxRefunds.co.nz to claim any refunds you may be due, check the status of your refunds throughout the refund process and ask any question through our online support centre.

Once you have created your TaxRefunds.co.nz account, simply log on to ask any questions through the online support centre by submitting a support request. This lets us track and respond to your requests through your account. We can also prioritise your request through your account.