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
What this pays
The published value, how it is calculated, and whether it is cash or a credit ceiling.
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Who qualifies
The 4 published rules this programme tests you against — age, income, residency, household and the rest.
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The steps, documents and official link are part of the paid plan. Checking how much you're owed is free and always will be.
2 documents you'll need
Exactly what to gather before you start, so nothing sends you back to the beginning.
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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
Last checked 2026-08-12 · a researcher confirmed this against the official page
Other family & children support in New Zealand
Working for Families Family Tax Credit
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Verified
Working for Families In-work Tax Credit
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Verified
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