Overseas income
Foreign Dividend Helper
Start here if you received dividends from overseas shares, ETFs, or platforms and need a cleaner way to prepare NZ return inputs, withholding tax records, and overseas income summaries.
Under the threshold does not mean no tax
Being under the relevant FIF cost threshold means you do not apply FIF rules to those holdings. It does not mean those dividends are free of tax. New Zealand tax residents still need to report overseas dividend income and may need to claim foreign tax credits.
Revenue account reminder: If you trade frequently, bought with the intention of resale, or are otherwise in the business of dealing in shares, gains on disposal may also be taxable. This page does not cover that. Speak to an adviser.
Transitional residency ending? Dividends received before the day after your transitional residency ended should not be entered into the helper as ordinary income after the exemption ends. Read the guide before preparing dividend records.
Worksheet tool
Open the dividend helper
Add dividends, convert them to NZD, group them by country, and export an IR1261 worksheet.
Filing checklist
Tie dividend records back to disclosure, FIF, and foreign tax credit checks before filing.
What this helps with
US withholding tax
Understand the 15% or 30% broker withholding question, what records to keep, and why the helper starts from the gross dividend.
Australian dividends
Separate ordinary Australian dividend income, franking credits, FIF exemptions, and foreign tax credit checks.
Foreign tax credits
Work through the plain English idea: overseas tax may reduce NZ tax on the same overseas income, but limits and exclusions matter.
Before you start
- Keep the dividend statement or broker activity line showing the payment date, currency, gross dividend, and overseas tax withheld.
- Keep the exchange-rate method you used to convert the dividend and withheld tax into NZD.
- Check whether the same holding also needs FIF treatment. Some dividends are dealt with inside a FIF method; others are ordinary overseas income.
- Use IR1261 or Inland Revenue's overseas income guidance to confirm how the income should be disclosed for your return.
Important: This is general information for organising overseas dividend records. It does not decide your personal tax position, foreign tax credit limit, or whether FIF income also applies.