Confirming IRD numbers
We may need to confirm your IRD number. Find out who this applies to, what we need, and how to get this to us.
If you don’t know your IRD number, you can get this from the Inland Revenue website:
If we don't contact you, we've likely already confirmed your IRD number and you don't need to do anything.
We're contacting everyone who's IRD number we need to confirm. Even if you think you already gave us your IRD number, we may need it again, or we may need your partner's. This may be because:
- there's no IRD number on your file, or
- the IRD number on your file doesn't match Inland Revenue’s information.
Most of our clients already have a confirmed IRD number, and don't need to do anything.
Asking for your IRD number
If we need your IRD number, we'll call you first so you can tell us the number over the phone.
If we can't sort it over the phone, we'll send you a letter, text or email asking for proof of your IRD number. Here's what you need to do to get it to us:
Step 1: Get proof
Proof of your IRD number can be either a:
- letter from Inland Revenue (digital or paper) confirming your IRD number, or
- screenshot of your myIR account (this needs to show your name, IRD number, Inland Revenue’s logo and the web address) – go here to log in Log in to myIR
Step 2: Get it to us
You can give proof of your IRD number to us by:
- calling us so we can let you upload it to MyMSD, or
- bringing it to a service centre so we can scan it.
Why this matters
If we've asked you for proof of your IRD number, you need to provide it by the date given in the letter – usually within 10 working days. If we don't get it in time, your payments may stop until we get it.
If your payments stop, send us the proof as soon as possible. Once we have it, your payments will restart from the day they stopped.
Everyone's situation is different – if you have a good reason for needing more time, or need help getting proof of your/your partner's IRD number, please call us before the due date.
How we use your IRD number
Benefits and pensions from us are taxed before they're paid to you. We need your IRD number to make sure your tax is going to the right Inland Revenue record.
It also help us make sure we're paying the right person the right amount. For example, Inland Revenue may tell us if someone has earned income they haven’t told us about. This helps us act early and avoid overpayments.
You can read more about this on Inland Revenue’s website, under ‘Disclosure of information for IRD validation’:
Information sharing with Ministry of Social Development (Inland Revenue)external