KiwiSaver calculator NZ: project your balance
Estimate your KiwiSaver balance at 65 or a first home deposit using your contribution rate, the 3.5% employer contribution, the government top up, an expected return, and a growth chart you can adjust in seconds.
Built for New Zealand employees and self employed savers on the 2026/27 rules, with employer superannuation contribution tax factored in and a plain breakdown of what you put in, what your employer adds, and what compounding does.
Where your KiwiSaver balance comes from
KiwiSaver is New Zealand's voluntary, work based retirement savings scheme, run by private providers and administered by Inland Revenue. Your balance grows from four sources: the amount you contribute from your pay, your employer's contribution, a yearly government contribution, and the investment returns your provider earns after fees and tax. This calculator adds all four together year by year, then compounds them to your chosen age.
Your contribution
3.5%, 4%, 6%, 8% or 10% of your before tax pay, or 3% on a temporary reduction. Self employed savers choose their own dollar amount.
Employer contribution
A minimum of 3.5% of your gross pay from 1 April 2026, rising to 4% from 1 April 2028. Employer superannuation contribution tax (ESCT) is taken off before it lands.
Government contribution
25 cents for every dollar you put in, up to $260.72 a year, if you are aged 16 to 65 and earn $180,000 or less.
Investment returns
What your fund earns, minus fees and PIE tax at your prescribed investor rate (PIR). Returns are not guaranteed and vary with your fund type.
KiwiSaver contribution rates for 2026/27
From 1 April 2026 the default employee and minimum employer rate is 3.5% of gross pay. You can lift your own rate any time by giving your employer a KS2 form, changing it in myIR, or contacting your provider. The figures below are the amounts this calculator uses.
| Item | 2026/27 setting | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Employee rates | 3.5%, 4%, 6%, 8%, 10% | Default 3.5%. A temporary reduction to 3% can be requested. |
| Employer minimum | 3.5% of gross pay | Rises to 4% from 1 April 2028. Subject to ESCT. |
| Government contribution | Up to $260.72 a year | 25c per $1. Contribute $1,042.86 to get the full amount. |
| Government contribution age | 16 to 65 | 16 and 17 year olds now qualify. Income must be $180,000 or less. |
| ESCT on employer contribution | 10.5% to 39% | Rate is set by your salary plus employer contribution. |
| Contributions calculated on | Gross (before tax) pay | KiwiSaver does not reduce your taxable income. |
Is the employer 3.5% on top of your pay?
Usually yes: under the KiwiSaver Act the employer contribution is paid on top of your gross salary or wages, unless you and your employer agree otherwise in good faith. Around 45% of employers use a total remuneration package for at least some staff, where the employer contribution comes out of one fixed pay figure instead of being added on top. Check your employment agreement for wording like plus KiwiSaver against inclusive of KiwiSaver before you lift your rate.
How your rate changes the finish line
Meet Aroha, a 30 year old on $70,000 with $15,000 already saved, a 3.5% employer contribution, the government contribution included, and a 4% return after fees and tax. The only thing that changes below is her own rate. These figures come straight from the calculator above so you can reproduce them.
A higher rate builds savings faster but reduces your take home pay today. The employer and government top ups do not shrink if you stay at 3.5%, so most savers aim to capture at least those.
Using KiwiSaver for a first home
If you have been a KiwiSaver member for at least 3 years, you can usually withdraw your savings to buy your first home to live in. You can take out your own contributions, your employer's contributions, the government contribution, and the investment returns on top. At least $1,000 must stay in your account, and funds transferred from an Australian scheme cannot be withdrawn. First home buyers apply through their provider, not through Kāinga Ora. Switch the tool above to the first home view to see how much you could have by your target year.
The First Home Grant (HomeStart) has closed
The Kāinga Ora First Home Grant, once known as the HomeStart grant, stopped accepting new applications from 1pm on 22 May 2024 as a Budget 2024 decision. There is no way to apply for it now, no matter how long you have been in KiwiSaver, so this calculator does not include a grant top up. The KiwiSaver first home withdrawal and the Kāinga Ora First Home Loan, which allows a deposit as low as 5%, both continue.
Previous home owners may still qualify if Kāinga Ora determines they are in the same financial position as a first home buyer. If you also earn PAYE income, our PAYE calculator shows the take home pay your deposit savings come from.
Tax on KiwiSaver: PIR and fees
KiwiSaver schemes are portfolio investment entities (PIEs). Your provider pays tax on your investment income at your prescribed investor rate (PIR), so the return you set in the calculator is best treated as an after fees and after tax figure. The three PIRs for New Zealand resident individuals are below. If you do not give your provider a PIR, tax is deducted at 28%.
| PIR | Taxable income (either of last 2 years) | Income plus PIE income |
|---|---|---|
| 10.5% | $15,600 or less | $53,500 or less |
| 17.5% | $53,500 or less | $78,100 or less |
| 28% | In all other cases | Above the 17.5% limits |
What if my PIR is wrong?
Inland Revenue squares up any PIR mismatch automatically at the end of the tax year. If your rate was too high the overpaid tax comes back; if it was too low you get a bill, capped at 28% on the PIE income. Your PIR is the lower of the two rates you qualified for across the last two income years. Check it with your provider when your income changes. Fees also matter over decades, so compare the annual fee of your fund, not just its headline return.
How this KiwiSaver calculator works
Each year the tool adds your contribution, your employer's contribution after ESCT, and the government contribution to your opening balance, then applies your expected return. It repeats this to your retirement age or your first home target year, so contributions and returns compound the way a real KiwiSaver account does. It is a projection you can run in seconds instead of building a spreadsheet in Excel.
- Your contribution is your rate times your gross salary, or a fixed dollar amount if you are self employed.
- Employer contribution uses your chosen rate (minimum 3.5%), then subtracts ESCT at 10.5% to 39% based on your salary plus that contribution.
- Government contribution is 25% of your own contributions, capped at $260.72 a year, and only while you are aged under 65 and earning $180,000 or less.
- The return you set is treated as an annual figure after fees and PIE tax. The presets (2.5%, 4%, 5.5%) are examples you can change, not forecasts. Real returns vary and can be negative.
- Today's dollars uses a 2% yearly inflation assumption so you can compare a future balance with money now.
- The first home view leaves $1,000 in the account, matching the withdrawal rule, and assumes at least 3 years of membership.
Quick checks before you set your rate
- 1Confirm whether your employer contribution is on top of your salary or inside a total remuneration package.
- 2Contribute at least $1,042.86 in the year (1 July to 30 June) to get the full $260.72 government contribution.
- 3Check your PIR is correct so you are not overpaying or underpaying PIE tax.
- 4Match your fund type to your timeframe: a first home in a year or two suits a different risk level than retirement in 30 years.
- 5Compare fees between providers, since a small yearly fee compounds over decades.
- 6If money is tight, a temporary reduction to 3% beats stopping contributions and losing the top ups.
KiwiSaver calculator questions
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KiwiSaver projection
Retirement and first home estimate · New Zealand · GSTCalc.nz
This report was generated by gstcalc.nz using the 2026/27 KiwiSaver rules.
Employer contribution is shown after ESCT. Government contribution is capped at $260.72 a year while eligible. Returns are an assumption you set and are not guaranteed.
Disclaimer: This document is for planning purposes only and is not financial or tax advice. Confirm figures with your KiwiSaver provider or a licensed adviser.
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