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Inland Revenue Department (New Zealand)

New Zealand government department

Inland Revenue Department (New Zealand)
Summary

New Zealand government department

FieldValue
nameInland Revenue
native_name_rmi
logoInland Revenue Department (New Zealand) logo.svg
logo_width250px
formed
preceding1Land and Income Tax Department
jurisdictionNew Zealand
headquarters55 Featherston Street, Wellington 6012
employees3,923
budgetTotal budget for 2022/23
Vote Revenue
$747,381,000
minister1_nameHon Simon Watts
minister1_pfoMinister of Revenue
chief1_namePeter Mersi
chief1_positionChief Executive and Commissioner
website

Vote Revenue $747,381,000 Inland Revenue Department (IRD; ) is the public service department of New Zealand charged with advising the government on tax policy, collecting and disbursing payments for social support programmes, and collecting tax.

History

Inland Revenue Department offices in [[Takapuna]], Auckland in 1967
The IRD Building in [[Manukau City Centre]], Auckland
The IRD Building in Christchurch

Inland Revenue started out as the Land Tax Department in 1878. The department was renamed the Land and Income Tax Department in 1892 with the central office set up in Wellington.

Only in 1952, when the organisation joined with the Stamp Duties Department, was the organisation known as the Inland Revenue Department.

In 1995, a Rewrite Advisory Panel was established to consider and advise on issues arising during the rewriting of the income tax legislation, as part of New Zealand tax reform arising from the Working Party on the Reorganisation of the Income Tax Act 1976. The panel was disestablished in 2014 at the completion of the tax reform.

Inland Revenue's Māori name, Te Tari Taake, means 'The Department of Tax'. Despite long vowels in Māori now being most commonly expressed with macrons over the vowel rather than double vowels, the department continues to use the double vowel due to the resemblance of the word tāke to the English word take.

Service delivery

In 2021–22, Inland Revenue collected $100.6 billion in tax revenue, which helped pay for the services that all New Zealanders benefit from such as social security and welfare, health and education. Other services included law and order, housing and community development, environmental protection, defence, transport, and heritage, culture and recreation.

In recent years, Inland Revenue has undergone business transformation activities aimed at simplifying the tax and social benefits process of receiving and paying taxes. As of 2019, these changes have resulted in a reduction of $60 million in administrative costs and an increase of $90 million in additional revenue through compliance and reduced effort for small to medium-sized businesses. In 2021, further business transformation activities were undertaken, including an upgrade to myIR, their secure online service, which has made it easier for customers to manage their tax and payments online.

In 2020, Inland Revenue delivered a change to the revenue system for individuals where every taxpayer account for income tax, Working for Families, KiwiSaver, student loans and the end-to-end processing of PAYE moved into Inland Revenue’s new tax and revenue technology system.

The department administers the following social support programmes:

  • Working for Families (tax credits)
  • Paid Parental Leave (payment)
  • Child Support (collection and payment)
  • Student Loan debt (collection)
  • KiwiSaver

Acts and regulations administered

Legislation administered by Inland Revenue includes:

  • Cheque Duty Repeal Act 2014
  • Child Support Act 1991
  • Estate and Gift Duties Act 1968
  • Gaming Duties Act 1971
  • Goods and Services Tax Act 1985
  • Income Tax Act 2007
  • Stamp and Cheque Duties Act 1971
  • Student Loan Scheme Act 2011
  • Tax Administration Act 1994
  • Taxation Review Authorities Act 1994
  • Unclaimed Money Act 1971
  • KiwiSaver Act 2006

Criticisms

Debt collection

Inland Revenue has been criticised for what are seen as heavy handed tactics when forcing payment from debtors, specifically those owing tax arrears and child support payments, and for charging excessive penalties on debts which result in debtors falling into a cycle whereby they are unable to pay the growing amounts they owe. The approach of Inland Revenue has been implicated in a number of suicides and other acts of self-harm.

The number of people threatening self-harm in phone calls to Inland Revenue has trended down consistently over the last three years. Between January and August 2019, 168 people contacted Inland Revenue threatening self-harm. That compares to 292 for the 2018 calendar year; 306 for 2017; and 334 for 2016.

In mid-December 2025, the business journal National Business Review (NBR) banned Inland Revenue from taking out any subscriptions after the government department breached NBR copyright by sharing 22 paywalled articles among several staff members. While Inland Revenue had a group subscription for 220 staff members until March 2024, this had been replaced by a single subscription for a member of its media team. NBR co-owner Todd Scott confirmed that the journal had adopted a policy of pursuing subscribers for copyright violations of its content. In response, Inland Revenue had offered to pay NBR the sum of NZ$12,500 including GST in redress. NBR regarded the offer as insufficient and proposed a counter-offer, which Inland Revenue declined to pay. In January 2026, National Business Review confirmed that it would pursue legal action against Inland Revenue through the District Court in order to recover the costs of a full group subscription, which NBR co-editor Hamish McNichol estimated to be worth NZ$36,000 plus GST.

Awards

  • At the 2022 Public Service Day Awards, two Inland Revenue employees (one posthumously) received the Public Service Commissioner's Commendation for Excellence award for their outstanding spirit of service.
  • In 2021, Inland Revenue were finalists at the Spirit of Service Awards for service excellence for their work investing in new technology and tools, focusing on simplifying policies and processes and introducing new ways of working to deliver better experiences for customers.
  • In November 2019, an Inland Revenue employee was awarded the State Services Commissioner's Commendation for Frontline Excellence for her investigation into the suspected multimillion-dollar income suppression by a chain of restaurants. This investigation led to one of the most significant prosecution cases undertaken by Inland Revenue in the past decade.
  • In 2019 Inland Revenue was awarded a Distinguished Service Award from Multicultural New Zealand in recognition of its support of community members in the aftermath of the Christchurch attacks.
  • Inland Revenue, along with The Treasury, were finalists at the Spirit of Service Awards 2019 for their partnership work to enhance tax policy through kaitiakitanga (stewardship), manaakitanga (care), ōhanga (prosperity) and whanaungatanga (relationships).
  • In 2019, an Inland Revenue employee was awarded the Ria McBride Public Service Management Award, sponsored by Te Kawa Mataaho Public Service Commission, which supports women to study as part of their development towards senior management positions in the Public Service.
  • In 2018, the IPANZ Prime Minister's Award for Public Sector Excellence and Achieving Collective Impact was awarded to the Ministry of Education, Tertiary Education Commission, Ministry of Social Development and Inland Revenue for delivering fees-free tertiary education for the 2018 school year. The Regulatory Systems award went to the Ministry of Justice, Department of Internal Affairs, Reserve Bank of New Zealand, Financial Markets Authority, New Zealand Customs, and Inland Revenue for Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing Terrorism.
  • At the 2018 New Zealand CIO Awards, Inland Revenue were finalists in the Business Transformation through Digital and ICT category.

List of ministers

The Minister of Revenue is the political office of minister for the department of Inland Revenue. Since November 2023, the position has been held by Simon Watts.

;Key

No.NamePortraitTerm of officePrime MinisterAs Minister in Charge of Land and Income Tax DepartmentNew Zealand Liberal Party}}"1Reform Party (New Zealand)}}"2New Zealand Liberal Party}}"3Reform Party (New Zealand)}}"(2)Reform Party (New Zealand)}}"4Reform Party (New Zealand)}}"5Reform Party (New Zealand)}}"Reform Party (New Zealand)}}"6United Party (New Zealand)}}"(3)United Party (New Zealand)}}"7Reform Party (New Zealand)}}"(6)Reform Party (New Zealand)}}"8New Zealand Labour Party}}"9New Zealand National Party}}"10As Minister in Charge of the Inland Revenue DepartmentNew Zealand National Party}}"(10)New Zealand National Party}}"11New Zealand National Party}}"New Zealand Labour Party}}"12New Zealand National Party}}"13New Zealand National Party}}"14New Zealand National Party}}"15New Zealand National Party}}"16New Zealand Labour Party}}"17New Zealand Labour Party}}"As Minister of RevenueNew Zealand Labour Party}}"18New Zealand Labour Party}}"New Zealand Labour Party}}"19New Zealand Labour Party}}"New Zealand Labour Party}}"New Zealand Labour Party}}"20New Zealand Labour Party}}"New Zealand Labour Party}}"New Zealand National Party}}"21New Zealand National Party}}"United New Zealand}}"22New Zealand National Party}}"23New Zealand National Party}}"New Zealand National Party}}"New Zealand National Party}}"24New Zealand National Party}}"25New Zealand National Party}}"(23)New Zealand Labour Party}}"26United Future}}"(22)United Future}}"New Zealand National Party}}"New Zealand National Party}}"27New Zealand National Party}}"28New Zealand National Party}}"29New Zealand Labour Party}}"30New Zealand Labour Party}}"31New Zealand Labour Party}}"New Zealand Labour Party}}"32New Zealand National Party}}"33
Arthur Myers[[File:Arthur Mielziner Myers.jpg75px]]28 March 191210 July 1912New Zealand Liberal Party}}"Mackenzie
James Allen[[File:James Allen portrait.jpg75px]]10 July 191212 August 1915Reform Party (New Zealand)}}"Massey
Joseph Ward[[File:Joseph Ward c. 1906.jpg75px]]12 August 191521 August 1919
James Allen[[File:James Allen portrait.jpg75px]]4 September 191928 April 1920
William Massey[[File:William Ferguson Massey 1919.jpg75px]]12 May 1920†10 May 1925
William Nosworthy[[File:William Nosworthy.jpg75px]]14 May 192524 May 1926Reform Party (New Zealand)}}"Bell
Reform Party (New Zealand)}}"Coates
William Downie Stewart Jr[[File:William Downie Stewart.jpg75px]]24 May 192610 December 1928
Joseph Ward[[File:Joseph Ward c. 1906.jpg75px]]10 December 192828 May 1930United Party (New Zealand)}}"Ward
George Forbes[[File:George William Forbes.jpg75px]]28 May 193022 September 1931United Party (New Zealand)}}"Forbes
William Downie Stewart Jr[[File:William Downie Stewart.jpg75px]]22 September 193128 January 1933
Gordon Coates[[File:Joseph Gordon Coates, 1931.jpg75px]]28 January 19336 December 1935
Walter Nash[[File:Walter Nash (ca 1940s).jpg75px]]6 December 193513 December 1949New Zealand Labour Party}}"Savage
New Zealand Labour Party}}"Fraser
Charles Bowden[[File:Charles Bowden.jpg75px]]13 December 19491 November 1952New Zealand National Party}}"Holland
Charles Bowden[[File:Charles Bowden.jpg75px]]1 November 195226 November 1954New Zealand National Party}}"Holland
Jack Watts[[File:Jack Watts.jpg75px]]26 November 195412 December 1957
New Zealand National Party}}"Holyoake
Arnold Nordmeyer[[File:Arnold Nordmeyer (1950).jpg75px]]12 December 195712 December 1960New Zealand Labour Party}}"Nash
Harry Lake[[File:Harry Lake.jpg75px]]12 December 196020 December 1963†New Zealand National Party}}"Holyoake
Office not in use
Peter Wilkinson[[File:No image.png75px]]12 December 19758 March 1977New Zealand National Party}}"Muldoon
Hugh Templeton[[File:Hugh Templeton.jpg75px]]8 March 197711 December 1981
John Falloon[[File:noimage.png75px]]11 December 198126 July 1984
Roger Douglas[[File:Roger Douglas, 1996 (cropped).png75px]]26 July 198424 August 1987Lange
Trevor de Cleene[[File:Trevor de Cleene, 1969.jpg75px]]24 August 198715 December 1988Lange
David Caygill[[File:David Caygill, 2015.jpg75px]]15 December 19889 February 1990
Palmer
Peter Neilson[[File:Peter Neilson, 1986.jpg75px]]9 February 19902 November 1990
Moore
Wyatt Creech[[File:Wyatt Creech, 1998.jpg75px]]2 November 199029 February 1996Bolger
Peter Dunne[[File:Peter Dunne outside Parliament.jpg75px]]29 February 199616 December 1996
Bill Birch[[File:Bill Birch.jpg75px]]16 December 199631 August 1998
Shipley
Max Bradford[[File:Max Bradford.jpg75px]]31 August 19981 February 1999
Bill English[[File:Bill English 3by2.png75px]]1 February 199922 June 1999
Bill Birch[[File:Bill Birch.jpg75px]]22 June 199910 December 1999
Michael Cullen[[File:Michael Cullen, 2008.jpg75px]]10 December 199917 October 2005New Zealand Labour Party}}"Clark
Peter Dunne[[File:Peter Dunne outside Parliament.jpg75px]]17 October 20057 June 2013
Key
Todd McClay[[File:Todd McClay (cropped).png75px]]7 June 201314 December 2015
Michael Woodhouse[[File:Michael Woodhouse (cropped).png75px]]14 December 201520 December 2016
Judith Collins[[File:The Honourable Judith Collins MP.jpg75px]]20 December 201626 October 2017New Zealand National Party}}"English
Stuart Nash[[File:Hon Stuart Nash.jpg75px]]26 October 20176 November 2020New Zealand Labour Party}}"Ardern
David Parker[[File:Hon David Parker.jpg75px]]6 November 202024 July 2023
New Zealand Labour Party}}"Hipkins
Barbara Edmonds[[File:Barbara Edmonds.jpg75px]]24 July 202327 November 2023
Simon Watts[[File:Portrait.sgw.jpg75px]]27 November 2023IncumbentNew Zealand National Party}}"Luxon

References

References

  1. (2022). "Annual Report 2022". Inland Revenue Department.
  2. "Total Statement of departmental budgeted and actual expenses and capital expenditure". Inland Revenue.
  3. "Watts, Simon – New Zealand Parliament".
  4. (2 December 2014). "Plain English tax panel disestablished".
  5. Goldsmith, Paul. (13 July 2012). "Taxes – Tax, ideology and international comparisons". Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand.
  6. "IRD Annual Report 2022".
  7. "IRD Annual Report 2019".
  8. "Nature and scope of IR functions from Statement of Intent 2011–14".
  9. "Legislation and regulations (Who we are)".
  10. (7 October 2014). "Self-harm threats soar for those who owe IRD". [[Stuff (website).
  11. (8 March 2013). "What's the Single Largest Cause of Bankruptcy in New Zealand?".
  12. (28 April 2016). "Suicide concerns rise for farmers as dairy downturn takes its toll". [[Stuff (website).
  13. (30 August 2018). "Still too many people threatening self harm in phone calls to Inland Revenue to". [[1News]].
  14. (12 December 2025). "National Business Review bans Inland Revenue after alleged copyright breach". [[RNZ]].
  15. (9 January 2026). "'Appalled': IRD apologises after paywalled news articles copied and shared among 600 staff". [[Stuff (website).
  16. "Public Service Day Awards 2022".
  17. "Spirit of Service Awards 2021".
  18. "Public Service Day Awards 2019".
  19. "Spirit Service Awards 2019".
  20. "IPANZ Public Sector Excellence Awards".
  21. "NZ CIO Awards 2018".
Wikipedia Source

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