Financial year 2025-2026 in New Zealand: key dates, deadlines, and tips for businesses

Whether you’re a solopreneur, business owner, or an individual taxpayer, it’s crucial to understand the financial year. Why? Because it sets the timeline for tax filing, financial reporting, budgeting, and more.

In this article, we’ll provide a deep dive into the New Zealand financial year in accounting. We’ll cover the key dates, deadlines, and financial obligations you need to know — as well as some handy tips for managing the end of the financial year effectively. 

What is the financial year?

The financial year, also known as the fiscal year, is a 12-month period used to dictate when accounting, tax, and financial reporting obligations must be completed. Towards the end of the financial year (EOFY), businesses must finalize their financial statements, reconcile accounts, and turn their minds to filing tax returns.

In many countries, the financial year is not the same as the calendar year. This is the case for New Zealand, where the financial year runs from 1 April to 31 March. This is an important distinction. Instead of calculating income tax, for example, from January to December, New Zealand taxpayers must use the financial year dates instead. 

Key dates and deadlines

With different tax payment methods and extensions, there are lots of important deadlines to be aware of throughout the New Zealand financial year. Below, we’ll break down the most important dates you need to know. 

Start and end of the financial year

• 31 March 2025 — end of financial year 2024-2025
• 1 April 2025 — start of financial year 2025-2026
• 31 March 2026 — end of financial year 2025-2026

Deadlines for filing income tax returns

The deadline for filing your income tax return for the previous fiscal year depends on whether you are using a tax agent (i.e. an accountant or tax professional) or not. Here are the deadlines for the 2024-25 tax year.

• 7 July 2025 — regular deadline
• 31 March 2026 — deadline for taxpayers that use a tax agent

Payment dates for provisional tax

Provisional tax enables businesses and individual taxpayers to pay their income tax in advance. There are different ways you can calculate provisional tax payments. The option you choose will dictate your provisional tax deadlines. See below for more details: 

1. Standard option

The standard option is the default option for calculating provisional income tax. Unless you specify an alternative option, you’ll pay your provisional tax over three instalments on the following dates:

2. Estimation option

The estimation option helps businesses avoid overpaying or underpaying their provisional income tax. If you choose this option, the instalments and dates are the same as the standard option (see above). 

3. Ratio option

The ratio option allows businesses to align provisional tax payments with cash flow. If you choose this option, you’ll need to pay in six instalments:

4. Accounting income method (AIM)

Businesses that choose the AIM method only pay taxes when they make a profit. If you choose this option, the deadlines for paying provisional tax will align with your GST due dates (see below). 

Deadlines for filing and paying GST

If you are registered to pay GST (goods and services tax), you can choose how often you want to file your GST returns from the following options: 

• Monthly
• Two-monthly
• Six-monthly

GST returns are due by the 28th day of the month following the end of a given taxable period. The same goes for GST payments. So, for example, if you choose to file monthly, your GST return for January will be due on 28 February. There are two exceptions to this rule: 

• For the taxable period ending 31 March, the deadline is 7 May 
• For the taxable period ending 30 November, the deadline is 15 January

Deadlines for paying terminal tax 

Terminal tax payments settle any outstanding income tax liabilities for a financial year that weren’t covered by provisional tax payments. When you’ll need to pay this depends on whether you use a tax agent or not: 

• February 7, 2026 — regular deadline
• April 7, 2026 — deadline for taxpayers using a tax agent

Deadlines for paying employee deductions

If your business employs people, you’ll need to pay the New Zealand Inland Revenue Department. This is a year-round obligation, but the payment frequency and dates depend on the size of your business: 

• Small and medium-sized businesses – monthly, by the 20th of the following month
• Large businesses – twice monthly, by the 20th of the same month (first payment) and by the 5th of the following month (second payment)

Financial year obligations for businesses

As a business owner or accountant in New Zealand, there are several crucial obligations that you must meet throughout the financial year. In this section, we’ll guide you through key financial and tax responsibilities and what they involve. 

Preparing financial statements and reports

At the end of the financial year, businesses must prepare financial statements. These include balance sheets, profit and loss statements, and cash flow statements. These reports help businesses and other key stakeholders get an accurate picture of the company’s financial health. They also help the business calculate how much income tax they owe. 

Meeting tax obligations

Each year, taxpayers have a series of tax obligations they must meet to remain compliant. These include: 

• Income tax. Taxpayers must file income tax returns for the previous financial year. This involves determining gross income for the year and subtracting allowable deductions. In addition, businesses must make provisional tax payments at different intervals. 
• PAYE. Businesses with employees must also file PAYE (Pay As You Earn) returns and ensure that tax deductions are made from employee wages.
• FBT. If your business provides employees with fringe benefits — such as company cars or subsidized services — you’ll need to calculate and pay FBT (fringe benefit tax) at regular intervals.
• GST. Businesses have to file a separate return for GST (Goods and Services Tax) in New Zealand. This involves reporting on both GST collected from sales and GST paid on purchases. 

End-of-year reconciliations

Once the financial year ends, businesses must complete their end-of-year reconciliations as soon as possible. This ensures that the business’s financial records align with actual figures, such as inventory, accounts receivable, and accounts payable. 

End-of-year reconciliations are essential for accurate financial reporting and help ensure that all taxes and returns are filed accurately and properly.

Tips for managing the end of the financial year effectively

The end of the financial year (EOFY) can be a stressful time for businesses, with additional obligations to meet and time pressures. To help you navigate the financial year-end smoothly, here are some essential tips: 

• Keep track of key deadlines. Mark important dates and tax deadlines in calendars. Set automated reminders to avoid last-minute stress. 
• Work with professionals. Accountants and tax professionals can provide expert advice on tax obligations. They can help you save money through tax deductions, and ensure that your financial reporting is accurate and compliant. 
• Plan for provisional taxes. Set aside funds for provisional tax payments. Consider tax pooling, which enables you to pool your provisional tax payments with others, providing greater flexibility while reducing costs. 
• Utilize accounting software. Streamline key accounting and bookkeeping processes to ensure accuracy, efficiency, and compliance. Use practice management software to automate workflows, simplify document management, and organize your team.

The bottom line

The financial year dictates when businesses and taxpayers must meet key obligations. In New Zealand, there are lots of different deadlines to keep track of. The more organized and prepared you are, the easier it will be to meet your obligations on time. 

One of the best ways to stay organized is to use the right software. TaxDome helps accounting teams collaborate transparently. It brings together document management, client communication, task management, and more on one easy-to-use platform. And with workflow automation, you can work smarter and faster than ever before.

Don’t just take our word for it. Request a demo today to see for yourself.