IRD Bank Account Number: How to Pay Tax via Internet Banking

Staring at a blank internet banking screen wondering what number goes where when paying your tax to Inland Revenue is a common frustration. The official IRD bank account number — 03-0049-0001100-27 — is essential, yet it’s easy to mix up with your own IRD number. This guide walks you through the exact number, how to use it for payments, and how to update your refund bank details, all based on official sources.

IRD bank account number: 03-0049-0001100-27 ·
Number format: Bank-Branch-Account-Suffix (e.g., 10-1234-00123456-0000) ·
Common payment method: Internet banking via ‘Pay Tax’ feature ·
Official source: Inland Revenue New Zealand (ird.govt.nz)

Four key facts about the IRD bank account number, drawn from the official government source and supporting advice.

Below is a summary of the critical details you need to get tax payments right.

What is an IRD bank account number?

Official bank account number for Inland Revenue

The IRD bank account number is the account that Inland Revenue uses to receive tax payments from individuals and businesses in New Zealand. It is not your personal IRD number — that’s a unique identifier for you as a taxpayer. The IRD bank account number is a standard New Zealand bank account number held by the government department.

• Full number: 03-0049-0001100-27 (Inland Revenue New Zealand — government tax agency)
• Used for income tax, GST, provisional tax, and other tax types
• Always use the exact number with hyphens or spaces as shown

How the number is structured (bank-branch-account-suffix)

New Zealand bank account numbers follow a standard format: Bank-Branch-Account-Suffix. For the IRD account, “03” is the bank code (for Westpac, the bank that holds this account), “0049” is the branch, “0001100” is the account number, and “27” is the suffix. This structure is used across the country — your own bank account at any NZ bank follows the same pattern (Infor — enterprise software documentation).

The implication: when you enter the IRD bank account number, you must replicate the hyphens or spaces exactly. Omitting the suffix or swapping digits will cause the payment to fail or be delayed.

How do I make payments to the IRD?

Pay via internet banking

Internet banking is the most common method for paying tax to Inland Revenue. According to the official IRD website, you can log into your bank’s internet banking or mobile app and select “Pay Tax” or a similar option (Inland Revenue New Zealand). The steps are:

1. Log into your bank’s internet banking (e.g., ANZ, ASB, BNZ, Westpac).
2. Choose the “Pay Tax” or “Pay IRD” option — if not available, add a new payee using the IRD bank account number.
3. Enter the IRD bank account number: 03-0049-0001100-27.
4. In the “Particulars” field, enter your IRD number (your personal tax number). If your IRD number has 8 digits, add a leading zero (Inland Revenue).
5. In the “Code” field, enter the payment type and period (e.g., “INC 31032016” for income tax ending 31 March 2016) (Inland Revenue).
6. Enter the amount and confirm the payment.

“If you need it, our bank account number is: Inland Revenue Department 03-0049-0001100-27”

— Inland Revenue New Zealand (ird.govt.nz)

The pattern here is that getting the code field wrong can make your payment invisible to IRD for weeks, so double-check before confirming.

Pay via direct debit or instalment arrangement

If you prefer automatic payments, you can set up a direct debit through Inland Revenue’s myIR service. This is useful for regular payments like GST or provisional tax. The IRD also offers instalment arrangements for taxpayers who need to pay off a debt over time (Inland Revenue).

Using the ‘Pay Tax’ or ‘Pay IRD’ option in your bank

Many New Zealand banks have a dedicated “Pay Tax” feature. For example:

• ANZ: Go to “Pay & transfer” then “Pay tax” (Prosper Business — accounting advisory).
• ASB: Select “Payments” then “IRD Payments” (Prosper Business).
• BNZ: Use “Bill Payment” and “Make a Tax Payment” (Impact Consulting — tax advisory).

These shortcuts pre-fill the IRD bank account number for you, reducing the risk of mistyping.

What is IRD’s bank account number?

The full number: 03-0049-0001100-27

The official IRD bank account number, sourced from Inland Revenue’s website, is 03-0049-0001100-27. This is the number you should use for all tax payments via internet banking. Third-party sources, such as Sumtree and the Individuals brochure PDF, also confirm this number (Sumtree — tax payment guide; Individuals brochure PDF — IRD information).

Format explanation: bank 03, branch 0049, account 0001100, suffix 27

Breaking it down:

• 03 — Bank code for Westpac (the bank that holds the IRD account).
• 0049 — Branch code.
• 0001100 — Account number within that branch.
• 27 — Suffix (often used for separate ledger accounts).

This is a standard New Zealand bank account number format. For comparison, your own bank account might look like 10-1234-00123456-0000 (Inland Revenue — update bank details page).

The pattern: the IRD bank account number is just a regular NZ bank account — no IBAN is needed for domestic transfers. For international payments, you would need to use SWIFT/IBAN, but the IRD prefers domestic transfers.

Do I need a bank account for an IRD number?

IRD number application process

No, you do not need a New Zealand bank account to apply for an IRD number. You can apply online or by paper form. The IRD number is assigned to you as a taxpayer regardless of your banking situation (Inland Revenue).

Bank account required for refunds

If you expect a tax refund, you will need a bank account for the money to be deposited into. Inland Revenue does not send cash or cheques by default — they use direct credit. You can update your bank account details through myIR at any time (Inland Revenue).

“You need to add your bank account number using this format: 10-1234-00123456-0000 (bank, branch, account, suffix)”

— Inland Revenue New Zealand (update bank details page)

The catch: while you don’t need a bank account to get a tax number, you’ll need one to get any money back from IRD.

How to add refund bank account IRD

Update bank account details online via myIR

To add or update your bank account for refunds, log into the myIR portal. Follow these steps:

1. Log into myIR at ird.govt.nz.
2. Navigate to “Update bank account details” under your profile.
3. Enter your bank account number in the correct format: 10-1234-00123456-0000 (bank, branch, account, suffix).
4. Confirm the account is yours — it must be a New Zealand bank account.
5. Save changes. The update is usually reflected within 24 hours.

This account is used only for refunds, not for making payments. You pay the IRD using the IRD bank account number (03-0049-0001100-27), and Inland Revenue sends refunds to the account you specify in myIR (Inland Revenue).

Format required: 10-1234-00123456-0000 (bank-branch-account-suffix)

Inland Revenue explicitly requires the format 10-1234-00123456-0000 — that is, two-digit bank, six-digit branch (with hyphen after two), seven-digit account number, and four-digit suffix (with hyphen before the suffix). If your own bank account number has a different suffix length (e.g., 3 digits), you still need to enter it exactly as shown on your bank statement. The IRD system validates the format (Inland Revenue).

For a broader understanding of potential pitfalls, it’s worth reviewing IRD tax compliance warnings to ensure your tax affairs are fully in order.

Frequently asked questions

For New Zealand taxpayers, the choice is clear: use the official IRD bank account number 03-0049-0001100-27 for all payments, enter your own IRD number in the particulars, and keep your refund bank account updated via myIR. Getting these details right means your tax payments land where they should, without delay.