Verified You must apply Family & children Tax credit

Best Start (Working for Families payment for children under 3)

Best Start Tax Credit

Paid by Inland Revenue (Te Tari Taake) · 🇳🇿 New Zealand

Check what you're owed

What this pays

The published value, how it is calculated, and whether it is cash or a credit ceiling.

Email and a six-digit code, then €50 a year. No password to forget.

Who qualifies

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The 4 published rules this programme tests you against — age, income, residency, household and the rest.

The steps, documents and official link are part of the paid plan. Checking how much you're owed stays free.

2 documents you'll need

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Exactly what to gather before you start, so nothing sends you back to the beginning.

Where this comes from

Best Start is a payment of $73 a week for families with a new baby; from 1 April 2026 the weekly payment of $77 is reduced when the family income exceeds $79,000.

https://www.ird.govt.nz/working-for-families/types/best-start

A researcher has read this record against the official page.

Verified on 12 August 2026

Source: www.ird.govt.nz

Related reading: How to read a grant eligibility rule

Other family & children support in New Zealand

Working for Families Family Tax Credit Working for Families — Family Tax Credit · Inland Revenue (Te Tari Taake) ●●●● Verified Working for Families In-work Tax Credit Working for Families — In-work Tax Credit · Inland Revenue (Te Tari Taake) ●●●● Verified

2 more programmes are on the paid plan, with the amount, the rules, the documents and the steps for each.

See plans Run the free check