How paid parental leave is worked out
Paid parental leave payments come from Inland Revenue, not your employer. You can get them for up to 26 weeks, in one continuous block.
For employees, the weekly payment is the higher of your ordinary weekly pay and your average weekly income, up to a maximum. From 1 July 2026 that maximum is $811.05 a week before tax.
- Regular hours: Inland Revenue uses your ordinary weekly pay, based on your weekly, fortnightly or monthly pay.
- Pay that varies: it looks at the 52 weeks before the due date, takes the 26 weeks you earned the most, and averages them.
Type in whichever figure is higher for you. If you're not sure, the calculator still shows whether you'd hit the maximum.
Rates for 2026–27
| Period | Maximum a week | Self-employed minimum |
|---|---|---|
| 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027 | $811.05 | $239.50 |
| 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026 | $788.66 | $235.00 |
All amounts are before tax.
Worked examples
- $600 a week: under the maximum, so $600 a week. Over 26 weeks that's $15,600.
- $1,000 a week: over the maximum, so $811.05 a week. Over 26 weeks that's $21,087.30.
- $60,000 a year: about $1,153.85 a week, so you get the $811.05 maximum.
- Self-employed with a loss: you get the minimum of $239.50 a week, or $6,227 over 26 weeks.
Anyone earning more than about $42,175 a year gets the maximum.
Self-employed
If you're self-employed, use your net income: turnover less expenses, before tax. Inland Revenue lets you use the last 12 months divided by 52, or the last 6 months divided by 26, whichever is higher. Pick "per year" or "over 6 months" in the calculator to match. If that comes to less than $239.50 a week, you get $239.50.
Preterm babies
If your baby is born before 36 weeks' gestation, you can get up to 13 more weeks of payments at the same rate. Tick the box to add them.
Tax
Paid parental leave is taxable like wages, and Inland Revenue takes PAYE out of each payment. Use a main tax code if it's your main income. If you get other pay at the same time, such as an employer top-up, use a secondary code for the smaller one. The tax code finder will tell you which. To compare with your normal take-home pay, try the take-home pay calculator.
Questions people ask
What is the maximum paid parental leave payment in 2026?
$811.05 a week before tax, from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027. It was $788.66 a week before that.
How many weeks of paid parental leave do you get?
Up to 26 weeks of payments. Parents of babies born before 36 weeks' gestation can get up to 13 more.
Who qualifies for paid parental leave?
You need to have averaged at least 10 hours of work a week over any 26 of the 52 weeks before the due date, or before you became the child's primary carer.
Is there a minimum payment?
For self-employed people, yes: $239.50 a week before tax. For employees, the payment matches your earnings up to the maximum.
Is paid parental leave taxed?
Yes. Inland Revenue takes PAYE out of each payment, so the amount you receive is less than the figure shown here.
Is my information saved?
No. The sums run in your browser, and nothing you type leaves your device.
Sources: Inland Revenue, Employees: how we work out your paid parental leave entitlement, Self-employed people: how to work out your entitlement and Tax codes for paid parental leave; Employment New Zealand, Parental leave payments. Rates checked October 2026. This is an estimate, not tax advice.