1 April 2026 

From 1 April 2026, employer and employee contributions to Kiwisaver will increase to 3.5%. Employers will be required to contribute to 16 and 17 year olds Kiwisaver if they are enrolled in Kiwisaver. 

How to prepare:

• Check your employment contracts and what the specified minimum rates are.

• Let your employees know about the changes - they will likely experience a decrease in take home pay due to the increase in their Kiwisaver contribution.

• Employees can request a temporary rate reduction to 3%.

• If you include employer contributions as part of your wages/salary, you will need to ensure the employee still meets minimum wage thresholds.

• Ensure your payroll system is up to date the changes are made in your payroll system. 

1 February 2026

Employees can apply for a Kiwisaver rate reduction to 3% preparing for the 1 April increase.

1 April 2028 

The default KiwiSaver contribution rate will rise to 4% (from 3.5%) for you and your employee. Ensure to consider these changes in budgets and forecasting. 

If you are unsure how these changes may impact your employees, your payroll system or your employment agreements - seek advice early to be ahead of the changes.