2016 Tax Agents
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Most satisfied | MyTax
MyTax has received Canstar Blue’s award for Most Satisfied Customers – Tax Agents, rating five stars across most criteria, including overall satisfaction.
Love paying tax? Thought not! But it’s something we’ve all begrudgingly come to accept as a fact of life. If you’re like most people, there’s only really one time of year when tax is on your mind – when it’s time to lodge your tax refund!
Our research shows most New Zealanders wisely keep on top of their taxes, with 79% of respondents to our survey applying for a tax refund every year. Of these people, 63% say they regularly receive a tax refund when they apply. Given these refunds are often to the tune of hundreds of dollars, it’s definitely in your interests to make sure your tax is up to date.
Unfortunately, tax is a complicated area, and somewhat daunting for a lot of us to navigate. So while it’s of course possible to manage your own tax returns, you might not be maximising your return – that’s where tax agents come in. Tax agencies understand the ins and outs of New Zealand’s tax system, helping you get the most out of your return without the hassle of going through the process yourself. Better yet, most tax agencies will bill its customers a small portion of your tax return, so if you aren’t owed a return, there will usually be no fee. It’s no wonder our research found that 53% of Kiwis won’t lodge a tax return on their own.
While all the tax agents we reviewed can, be trusted to get the job done perfectly well, there stands one clear favourite among New Zealanders. In 2016, we can report that MyTax has received Canstar Blue’s award for Most Satisfied Customers – Tax Agents, rating five stars across most criteria, including overall satisfaction.
New Zealand tax structure
The New Zealand government claims to have one of the most attractive and fair tax systems in the world, with no capital gains, inheritance or local taxes. Businesses are taxed at a flat rate of 28%, while individual income earners are taxed on their wages or salary at a progressive rate which varies depending on how much the person has earned.
NZ income tax rates
| Taxable income | Tax rate |
|---|---|
| Up to $14,000 | 10.5% |
| $14,000 – $48,000 | 17.5% |
| $48-000 – $70,000 | 30% |
| Over $70,000 | 33% |
| No declared tax code | 45% |
Keep in mind these are only the current tax rates, so there may be some differences if you have a back-log of tax.
Frequently Asked Questions
MyTax
MyTax is a 100% New Zealand owned and operated company. It provides its customers with an online selector tool as well as a mobile app to make lodging your tax refund as simple as possible. At the time of writing, if there is a refund owed on returns for salary and wage earners, MyTax charges 15% of the refund amount on claims made through the website, and 12% on claims made through its phone app. Click here for more details on MyTax’s fees.
TaxRefunds.co.nz
TaxRefunds.co.nz claims it was the first automated tax refund service in New Zealand, and claims to have returned over $200 million in taxes since 2009. At the time of writing, TaxRefunds.co.nz charge $5 for returns below $50, while returns over $50 have an 18% fee. If there are no returns, there is no charge. Click here for more details on TaxRefunds.co.nz’s fees.
WooHoo NZ Tax Refunds
WooHoo prides itself on handling its customers’ tax refunds as quickly and efficiently as possible, it says. If WooHoo discovers you’re owed a refund, it charges 19.5% on online tax assessments and 14% on its mobile app assessment. Click here for more details on WooHoo’s fees.
My Tax Refund
My Tax Refund has been operating since April 2008 and claims it offers one of the cheapest refund experiences on the market. Unlike many other tax agents, My Tax Refund only offers flat fees. For a personal tax refund between $10 to $30, a $10 fee applies. For $30 to $70 return, the fee is set to $20. And for refunds of $70 or more, there is a $39 fee. Click here for more details on My Tax Refund’s fees.
Canstar Blue commissioned Colmar Brunton to use the ConsumerLink panel to survey 2,500 New Zealand consumers across a range of categories to measure and track customer satisfaction. The outcomes reported are the results from customers within the survey group who have applied for a personal tax refund through a professional tax agent in the last 2 years – in this case, 490 New Zealanders.
Brands must have received at least 30 responses to be included. Results are comparative and it should be noted that brands receiving three stars have still achieved a satisfaction measure of at least six out of 10. The ratings table is first sorted by star ratings and then alphabetically. A rated brand may receive a ‘N/A’ (Not Applicable) rating if it does not receive the minimum number of responses for that criteria.