Below are answers to some common questions you may have. If you’d like to know more about this legislation and how it may affect you visit ird.govt.nz.
Why is Kiwibank asking for this information?
Under the AEOI standard*, we’re required to determine in which overseas countries, if any, our customers are a ‘tax resident’. If you’re a tax resident outside of New Zealand, we may need to give IR this information, along with other information about your accounts with us. IR may share this information with overseas tax authorities.
We're required to gather this information when a customer joins Kiwibank, or when an existing customer opens a new account. We’ll be unable to open an account until all customers associated with the account have provided the information we are required to collect. Generally customers need to provide their own information to Kiwibank however there are some exceptions which are explained in the ‘Who can provide this information for me?’ section below.
What information will I need to provide to Kiwibank?
You’ll need to let us know if you’re a tax resident in any country other than New Zealand. If you are, we’ll need to know your tax identification number (TIN), or the functional equivalent for that country(s).
You'll still need to let us know that you're not a tax resident in any other country.
How do I know if I need to provide information to Kiwibank?
All customers opening a new account will need to provide information about their overseas tax status. You’ll be prompted when you open an account. We may also contact you if we require further information.
Kiwibank’s obligations cover all its customers, including trusts, partnerships and limited liability companies.
What extra information will entities need to provide?
If you’re opening a new account with Kiwibank on behalf of a legal entity, e.g. a company, or a legal arrangement, such as a trust or partnership, we’ll ask you for information about:
- whether the entity is a foreign tax resident,
- whether the entity is a passive Non-Financial Entity (NFE). A passive NFE is usually an entity that is not a financial institution and derives its gross income mainly from passive income and/or has mainly passive assets, and;
- if the entity is a passive NFE, whether it has any controlling persons that are foreign tax residents.
What is a TIN?
The term ‘TIN’ means ‘Tax Identification Number’. A TIN is a unique combination of letters and/or numbers assigned by a country to an individual or an entity and used to identify the individual or entity for the purposes of administering the tax laws of that country.
In New Zealand, this is referred to as your IRD number.
Further details of acceptable TINs can be found on the OECD website.
Some countries don’t issue a TIN. However, these countries often utilise some other high integrity number with an equivalent level of identification (a ‘functional equivalent’). Examples of that type of number include, for individuals, a social security/insurance number, citizen/personal identification/service code/number, and resident registration number.
What if I don’t have a TIN (or a functional equivalent)?
There may be situations where you’re a tax resident in another country but don’t have a TIN. Some countries don’t issue their residents with a tax number, while some countries don’t require their residents to disclose their tax identification number. You can check the OECD website for more information.
What is a tax resident?
What’s defined as a tax resident varies from country to country. We don’t provide personalised advice on this.
Each country/jurisdiction has its own rules for defining tax residence. Many jurisdictions have provided information on their individual and entity tax residency rules on the OECD website.
Generally, a person or entity will be resident for tax purposes in a jurisdiction if, under the local laws (including tax conventions), it pays or should be paying tax there, by reason of their domicile, residence, place of management or incorporation, or any other criterion of a similar nature, and not only from sources in that jurisdiction.
An entity such as a partnership, limited liability partnership or similar legal arrangement that has no residence for tax purposes shall be treated as resident in the jurisdiction in which its place of effective management is situated.
For additional information on tax residence, please talk to your tax adviser or refer to the OECD website.
How can I provide Kiwibank this information?
If you’re an existing customer you’ll be able to provide your individual self-certification directly online. You can do this in internet banking, by selecting the ‘Settings’ icon at the top of the page then select ‘Overseas tax details’, or in the mobile app by, selecting 'Personal Details', and then select ‘Overseas tax details’.
If you don’t have internet banking or you’re completing a self-certification for an entity or on behalf of someone else, you can fill in the Self-Certification for an Individual/Controlling Person and/or the Self-Certification for an Entity Account Holder and send by email to aeoi@kiwibank.co.nz or post to the mailing address on the form(s).
You can also give us a call on 0800 527 948 (option 1) or from overseas +64 4 439 2819 from Monday to Friday between 8:30am to 5pm, or visit your nearest Kiwibank to provide this information. Make sure you have your tax identification number/s handy.
How often can I update my information?
There’s no limit to how often you can update your information, and tax residency can change over time. Under New Zealand law you’re required to notify us of any change in any information which affects your overseas tax residency status. You can update your overseas tax details at any time either through internet banking, by calling us or visiting your nearest Kiwibank. It’s important to keep your overseas tax details up to date.
Who can provide this information for me?
You'll need to provide your own overseas tax residency information to Kiwibank, unless you're a child or have a Power of Attorney (POA).
- If you're a parent or guardian, you'll need to provide this information on behalf of your child. You'll also need to provide proof of your relationship to them, as well as your photo ID.
- For children 12 years and under this information must always be provided by a parent or guardian.
- For children 13 years and over this information must be provided by a parent or guardian if they open the account for them.
- If you have a POA, they can provide this information on your behalf.
What happens if I don’t provide information on my overseas tax status, including my TIN (or an acceptable explanation as to why I don’t have a TIN)?
Since we’re required to gather this information from new customers when they join the bank, we’ll be unable to open any accounts for new customers until we have gathered this information.
For existing customers, we’ll be unable to open any new accounts until all customers associated with the account provide the required information. If you're an existing customer we may get in touch with you to collect this information. For certain entities all controlling persons must also provide this information before an account can be opened.
What happens if I provide Kiwibank with incorrect information?
IR is able to penalise anyone who provides false or misleading information, fails to provide information, or fails to provide an update if there is a material change to the information the person has previously provided to us. This includes civil penalties of $1,000. Criminal penalties can also apply for knowledge offences.
These penalties will help to ensure the AEOI regime is effective. Other countries that are implementing the AEOI have similar provisions in place.
Still unsure about what you need to do, or have questions?
Please contact us, check the Inland Revenue website or seek professional advice.
*The full name of the standard is: Standard for Automatic Exchange of Financial Account Information in Tax Matters.