Inland Revenue opened a consultation on 24 April 2026 on a proposed Approved Information Sharing Agreement with Customs to improve Working for Families administration and reduce debt linked to overseas departures. Submissions close on 5 June 2026.
New Zealand’s Inland Revenue (IR) initiated a consultation on 24 April 2026 on a proposed Approved Information Sharing Agreement (AISA) with the New Zealand Customs Service aimed at reducing Working for Families tax credit overpayments when recipients leave New Zealand and become ineligible.
The proposal will enable Customs to automatically share border movement information with IR, replacing current manual requests and improving the identification of eligibility changes to reduce resulting Crown debt.
The AISA would also consolidate existing Information Matching Agreements for Student Loans and Child Support into a single framework for border-related data sharing.
Under the proposal, IR will provide Customs with details of Working for Families principal caregivers, and Customs will notify IR when they enter or leave New Zealand. Information relating to dependent children will not be shared.
Safeguards include limits on the use of data, penalties for misuse, and a requirement for at least 10 working days’ notice before any adverse action such as stopping payments. The agreement will be subject to annual review and reporting.
The consultation is set to conclude on 5 June 2026.
