Tax Information

The short version

Your own savings aren't taxed by Kivvo. Money you contribute toward your own goals is your money. Moving it into your Kivvo goals doesn't create a tax event for you, and Kivvo doesn't withhold tax from your contributions.

You don't earn interest from Kivvo. Kivvo isn't a bank and doesn't pay interest on balances held toward goals. Because there's no interest, there's generally no tax on interest from Kivvo.

Cashback, if and when you receive it, may be taxable income. Cashback is in beta and not yet available to all users. Where cashback is available and credited to you, its tax treatment depends on your personal circumstances. In many cases it's likely to be treated as income, but that isn't a universal rule — it depends on how it arises and how it's used.

Kivvo is a New Zealand company and is registered for GST. GST is handled at the Kivvo level. You don't pay GST on your own contributions to your own goals, and you don't claim GST on them either.

Talk to a tax professional if you're unsure. We can't advise on your personal tax position, and this page doesn't do that.

Contributions to your own goals

When you contribute money toward a goal you've set in Kivvo, you're moving your own money. Kivvo isn't paying you anything, isn't giving you anything, and isn't creating income for you. That means:

No tax is withheld by Kivvo from your contributions.

No tax event is triggered by making a contribution.

No GST applies to you moving your own money between your own accounts.

The money in your Kivvo goals remains your money, held through the payment and payout arrangements described elsewhere in our policies.

Fees you pay to Kivvo

Kivvo charges certain fees for using the service — for example, a contribution fee on scheduled contributions. These fees are business revenue for Kivvo.

If you're an individual using Kivvo for personal savings:

The fees you pay to Kivvo are generally not deductible for you personally, unless you're using Kivvo in the course of a business or taxable activity.

Kivvo is registered for GST, and GST is included in the fees you pay where GST applies.

If you're using Kivvo in a business context and want to understand whether the fees are deductible, that's a question for your accountant.

Kivvo+ subscriptions

Kivvo+ is a paid membership that unlocks additional features. Subscription payments are revenue for Kivvo, and they're subject to GST.

For individual users:

The subscription cost is generally a personal expense and isn't deductible.

It isn't treated as income for you.

If you're subscribing through a business, deductibility depends on your circumstances and your accountant should advise.

Cashback (beta)

Cashback is a feature Kivvo is exploring for users who save consistently. It is currently in beta and is not yet available to all users. Because of this, the following is general information and may change as the feature develops.

Where cashback is credited to you, its tax treatment depends on how it arises and how you use it. Common scenarios:

Cashback credited to your Kivvo savings goals. If cashback is credited into a goal you own, the amount credited may be treated as income in the year you receive it — even though you haven't withdrawn it. This is because receiving value, not just withdrawing it, is generally what matters for tax.

Cashback paid out to a bank account. If cashback is paid out to you, the amount paid is generally income in the year it's received.

Cashback earned through a business activity. If you're using Kivvo in a business context and cashback is earned as part of that activity, different rules may apply.

Kivvo doesn't withhold tax from cashback. You're responsible for meeting your own tax obligations on any income you receive through Kivvo, including cashback if it becomes available to you.

If you receive cashback, we recommend keeping the records Kivvo provides — your contribution and payout history can be downloaded from the Data Requests area of your account — and discussing your position with a tax professional.

GST

Kivvo is registered for GST in New Zealand.

For individual users saving toward personal goals:

Your own contributions toward your own goals are not subject to GST.

Fees and subscriptions you pay to Kivvo have GST applied where required, and the GST is included in the displayed price.

You don't claim GST on anything you pay Kivvo as a personal user.

For business users, GST treatment of fees and subscriptions follows the normal rules for business expenses. Your accountant can advise.

No interest is paid by Kivvo

Kivvo isn't a bank. Kivvo doesn't pay interest on balances held toward goals, and doesn't offer any interest-bearing product. Because no interest is paid:

There's no resident withholding tax (RWT) on interest from Kivvo.

There's no interest income to declare from Kivvo.

There's no financial arrangements or accrual rules issue arising from interest on Kivvo balances.

Joint accounts, shared goals, and gifts

Some users may want to save toward a shared goal with someone else, or receive contributions from another person toward a goal. Where that happens:

The tax treatment of shared savings depends on how the arrangement is structured and who owns the money.

Contributions someone else makes toward your goal may be a gift, a repayment, or income, depending on the circumstances.

Kivvo doesn't determine the tax character of contributions made by one person to another.

If you're saving with someone else or receiving contributions from someone else, this is a good topic to raise with an accountant.

If you're a business using Kivvo

If you use Kivvo in the course of a business, taxable activity, or trust, different considerations apply. In particular:

Fees and subscriptions may be deductible business expenses.

Cashback received may be business income.

GST treatment may differ from personal use.

Record-keeping and reporting obligations may apply.

Kivvo doesn't provide business-specific tax advice. If you use Kivvo in a business context, we recommend getting advice from a New Zealand tax professional.

Records you can download

Kivvo lets you download your own account and contribution data from the Data Requests area of your account. These downloads are provided as a feature of Kivvo to help you keep your own records, and include:

Account data — profile, goals, linked bank and card details (where applicable), watchlist, and notifications, available as CSV or PDF.

Contribution history — contribution dates, amounts, schedules, goals, and payment status, available as CSV or PDF.

You can use these to support your own tax records and to share with your accountant or tax agent if needed.

The New Zealand Privacy Act 2020 gives you the right to request access to and correction of your personal information. These downloads are features Kivvo provides, not additional statutory rights.

Changes to this page

Tax rules change. The features Kivvo offers will change too — for example, if and when cashback moves out of beta. We'll update this page when the position changes materially.

This page was last reviewed in October 2026.

Questions and further help

Kivvo can't provide personal tax advice. If you have questions about how tax applies to your own situation, please speak with a New Zealand tax professional or your accountant.

If you have a question about how Kivvo itself works — including how contributions, fees, subscriptions, or cashback are structured — you can submit a support ticket via the Support page. We don't use email for support.

For more detail on how Kivvo handles your information, see our Privacy Policy and Data Requests pages.