Get Your Government Money

Get Your Government Money

by | 17 Jun, 2024 | Government Contributions, KiwiSaver

Each year, the government offers a bonus (called a government contribution) to help boost your KiwiSaver account. This is a great way to get closer to your KiwiSaver goals. Here’s how you can get the maximum government contribution for KiwiSaver.

What is the Government Contribution?

The government contribution is an annual bonus from the New Zealand government for eligible KiwiSaver members. You are usually eligible if you:

  • Are making contributions to your KiwiSaver account,
  • Live mainly in New Zealand,
  • Are 18 or older, and
  • Do not qualify for the retirement benefit.

    • For more details about eligibility, please click here

    You can get up to $521.43 per year from the government. To get this maximum amount, you need to contribute at least $1,042.86 to your KiwiSaver account each year. Even if you can’t contribute that much, you can still get some government money. For every dollar you contribute, the government adds 50 cents, up to a maximum of $521.43 per year. Here’s how it breaks down:

    Your personal contributions KiwiSaver government contribution
    Weekly Annual Annual
    Over $20 Over $1,042.86 $521.43 Max
    $20 $1,042.86 $521.43
    $15 $781.14 $390.57
    $10 $521.43 $260.71

    How to Get the Maximum Government Contribution

    If you’re an employee, your contributions come from your salary. If this isn’t enough to reach $1,042.86, you can make extra voluntary contributions to get the maximum government money.
    If you’re self-employed, you can make voluntary contributions directly to your KiwiSaver account.
    Remember, the government contribution is calculated yearly, from July 1 to June 30. To get the full $521.43, you need to contribute $1,042.86 by June 30 each year.

    Getting the maximum government contribution is a great way to boost your savings. If you do this every year, you could get over $5,000 in your KiwiSaver account from government contributions alone after ten years (not including any investment returns or losses). This can help you get closer to your retirement savings goals.

    How to Check Your Contributions

    To see if you’ve contributed enough, log in to the member portal on the Christian KiwiSaver Scheme website. Click on the “Maximising GCs” tab to see a summary of your qualifying contributions for the year and find out if you’ve reached the target or how much more you need to contribute.

    Make the most of this government bonus and boost your KiwiSaver savings today!

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    Get your government contribution

    by | 10 May, 2023 | General, Government Contributions, Investment, KiwiSaver

    Each year, the government offers an incentive (called a government contribution) towards your KiwiSaver account. This contribution is a small step that could help you get closer to your KiwiSaver goals. So, how can you get the maximum government contribution for KiwiSaver?

     

    What is the government contribution?

    This is an annual contribution made by the New Zealand government to eligible KiwiSaver members. You are typically eligible for the government contribution if you:

    • are making contributions to your KiwiSaver account,
    •  live mainly in New Zealand,
    • are aged 18 or older; and
    • do not qualify for the retirement benefit.

    If you would like more information about eligibility, please click here (this link will direct you to more information on the Inland Revenue website).

    You could be eligible to receive up to a maximum of $521.43 per year of government contribution. You need to contribute at least $1,042.86 to your KiwiSaver account per year to receive this amount. You can still receive some government contribution even if you cannot contribute this amount. For every dollar you contribute, the government will contribute 50 cents up to a maximum of $521.43 per year. To illustrate what this may look like, see the table below.

     

    Your personal contributions Money from government
    Weekly Annual Annual
    Over $20 Over $1,042.86 $521.43 max
    $20 $1,042.86 $521.43 max
    $15 $781.14 $390.57
    $10 $521.43 $260.71
    $5 $260.71 $130.35

     

    How do you get the maximum government contribution?

    If you are an employee, your contributions will come from your salary. If your contributions from your salary fall short of $1,042.86, then you can make a voluntary contribution towards your KiwiSaver account to receive the maximum government contribution.

    If you are self-employed, you can make voluntary contributions towards your KiwiSaver account.

    If you want to receive the maximum government contribution, it is essential to know that the government contribution is calculated on a per-year basis (which is measured from 1 July – 30 June). This means you must ensure you have contributed $1,042.86 by 30 June to receive $521.43 in government contributions.

    Getting the maximum government contribution is a helpful savings incentive. If you made sure that you received the maximum government contribution each year, you could have received over $5,000 in your KiwiSaver account of free government contributions after ten years (not taking into account any investment returns or losses). The government contribution can help you get closer to reaching your retirement savings goals.