Termination Essentials

NZPPA Certificate in Payroll Termination Essentials (Level 4)

Legislative records and timeframe that employee record must be kept after termination

Type of Information Employee data Wage and time record

Legislation

Department or Agency

Timeframe to retain or to provide

Employment Relations Act 2000 (S130)

MBIE

Six years to retain record (to be provided immediately when requested) Six years to retain record (to be provided as soon as practicable when requested) Seven years (employee earners’ levy) At least seven years. Please note does not mean IR cannot come back after seven years to request information

Holiday and leave record

Holidays Act 2003 (S81) MBIE

Accident compensation

Accident Compensation Act 2001

ACC

Tax-related information

IR

Income Tax Act 2007

•

Tax Administration Act 1994 KiwiSaver Act 2006

•

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Student loan Schemes Act

Child Support Act 1991

•

Privacy Act request (from employee)

Privacy Act 2020

Privacy Commissioner

20 working days

Employment Agreement

Employment Relations Act 2000 (S64)

MBIE

Six years to retain record (to be provided as soon as reasonably practicable when requested)

Tax and IR record-keeping There is a range of tax legislation that payroll must retain regarding record keeping. It is essential to ensure all tax records are kept and can be provided if IR or any associated department or agencies request it.

The timeframe for retaining any tax records is for at least seven years.

There are tax requirements to show payments and deductions for each pay period and for each reporting period.

© New Zealand Payroll Practitioners Association, Mar 2026, Ver 9

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