RW - foRWard Health & Wellbeing eMag - Feb26 - Flipbook - Page 15
1 April 2026 Changes
Default employer and employee
contribution rates
The default KiwiSaver contribution rate
will rise to 3.5% (from 3%) for you and
your employer.
Temporary rate reduction
You can apply for a temporary rate reduction
from 1 February 2026 if you want to carry on
contributing at 3% from 1 April 2026. This could
be because you can’t a昀昀ord the rate increase or
want to save in other ways.
You can apply for a temporary rate reduction
for a 3 month (92 days) to 12 month period.
You can apply for the rate reduction as many
times as you like.
Your employer can choose to match your
temporary rate reduction. Once you move from
the temporary rate to a higher rate, we’ll notify
your employer.
How to apply for a temporary rate
reduction – Temporary rate reduction
Contributions for 16 and 17-year-olds
If you’re aged 16 or 17 you’ll qualify for employer
KiwiSaver contributions from 1 April 2026, so long
as you meet other eligibility requirements.
If you contribute to KiwiSaver from your
wages, your employer will need to start making
contributions. Before 1 April 2026, your employer
only needs to contribute for employees aged 18
to 65.
1 April 2028 changes
The default KiwiSaver contribution rate will rise
again to 4% (from 3.5%) for you and your employer.
How can we help?
At Robert Walters, our Payroll Services
team are prepared for these changes
and trained to navigating through the
complex KiwiSaver contribution rules.
Should you need any assistance
regarding the change in KiwiSaver,
contact your Robert Walters’ Consultant
or the Payroll Services team on
KiwiSaverincrease@robertwalters.co.nz
