New Zealanders can now receive automatic tax credits for their charitable donations.

From January 7th donations made automatically from an employees pay package will be eligible for automatic tax credits, bypassing the previous system of end of year claims. Employees will receive a third of the donation amount back through a PAYE tax credit. Describing the ease of use of the new system Peter Dunne, Revenue Minister of New Zealand, said “…it’s really convenient for workers, is low-cost and effective for charities, and helps employers and their staff become more engaged with the community”.

The new law was enacted in the Taxation (International Taxation, Life Insurance, and Remedial Matters) Bill, which received Royal assent on October 6th. Though the concept of payroll-giving has been debated by the New Zealand Government since discussion documents on the subject were released in 2006.

The law change has received wide praise amongst charities and NGOs both for its encouraging employees to donate and its convenience. Commenting on the legislation Les Stephenson, CEO of World Vision New Zealand, said, “…this will definitely help people as they try to balance their monthly household budgets, especially in these tougher economic times”.

Photo by Remon Rijper