New Zealanders benefit economically and socially through Te Tari Taake Inland Revenue working collaboratively across our external environment (2023)

When Cyclone Hale and Cyclone Gabrielle caused states of emergency in Te Ika-a-Maui the North Island in early 2023, Te Taro Taake Inland Revenue was ready to help. By embracing a hands-on approach, cross-agency collaboration, targeted support and proactive community engagement, we worked with others to support businesses and individuals. 

People were dealing with strong winds, severe floods, as well as loss of power, internet connection and cell phone coverage. We distributed relief packages and reached out to people door-to-door. This was vital-without digital communications, we had to communicate with people directly to ensure they were receiving the support they needed.

We worked with other organisations to extend our reach and provide relief to people. Together with Trust Tairāwhiti and Te Manatū Whakahiato Ora the Ministry of Social Development, we also organised a business hub for local enterprises. The hub helped businesses carry on with their essential operations such as paying wages to employees, filing tax returns and navigating obligations where necessary. The hub was available every day, including weekends.

We know that different industries have their own challenges so we organised targeted hui (meetings) for the horticultural, hospitality and tourism sectors. We identified businesses that needed immediate assistance and provided tailored support to help them navigate their specific challenges. 

To ensure our customers were aware of the support available and knew how to reach us, our teams spoke on local radio stations. We proactively worked with tax agents through webinar sessions, ensuring they were equipped with the latest information to relay to their clients. 

We also worked with Rīpeka Whero Aotearoa New Zealand Red Cross and local councils in the Whāngarei area to enable welfare checks and door-to-door visits. Our Whāngarei team distributed non-perishable food packs to the local marae and ensured the local community felt supported.

In the aftermath of the floods in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, we worked with Hīkina Whakatutuki the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment to find housing for families who had been left homeless. The team comprised 40 members from various agencies, including Te Mana Ārai o Aotearoa the New Zealand Customs Service, Te Tari Taiwhenua the Department of Internal Affairs, and Te Kaporeihana Āwhina Hunga Whara Accident Compensation Corporation. A specific case demonstrate the team’s swift action and successful outcomes.

Case 1: Rapid response for a family of 8

When a family of 8 faced homelessness after their house was yellow stickered, the team swiftly coordinated efforts with other agencies and secured new accommodation for the family overnight.

Case 2: Supporting a family with a child with special needs

A family with a child with special needs had difficulty finding suitable housing, which was causing them immense stress. The team found the family a suitable home–it was accessible and near essential health services.

Te Tari Taake Inland Revenue is a critical member of Aotearoa New Zealand’s data system. We hold significant data assets that we and our government partners realise value from to produce statistics, reports and insights into our population and economy. The managed access to sensitive data content is led by Tatauranga Aotearoa, Stats NZ, which collects data from a variety of sources.

Te Tari Taake, Inland Revenue is a major contributor of information to 2 of Stats NZ’s large research databases: the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI) and Longitudinal Business Database (LBD). The anonymous information in these databases helps government and academic researchers with social and economic questions in the public interest and informs government decision making and policy change. 

Recently, our data has helped build an understanding of how the groups of people who are unemployed and those who receive a Jobseeker Support Benefit overlap each other, and to understand people who are not in the overlap. The data was also used to examine trends in the labour market and will help support people returning to the workforce.

Our data is also helping to build an understanding of Aotearoa’s kaiāwhina workforce (community, health and disability workers). The research aims to provide updated insights on the kaiāwhina workforce, including demographic characteristics, employment profiles, and movements in and out of the workforce. It seeks to support the needs of relevant agencies and contribute to the public good by improving competency and service provision in the health sector.

Anticipated outcomes include input for pay equity settlement, a more comprehensive understanding of the health workforce, collaborative partnerships and reusable code for future workforce analysis. The research will also contribute to broader policy-related questions regarding transitions in the labour market and recovery from events like the COVID-19 pandemic.

We also have a memorandum of understanding with Tatauranga Aotearoa Stats NZ, which allows us to provide information that is critical to their work, which includes: 

• quarterly retail statistics–shows the level of confidence in the economy
• gross domestic product statistics–an official measure of economic growth
• balance of payments statistics–a comprehensive record of New Zealand’s economic relationship with the rest of the world
• the New Zealand Census of Population and Dwellings–how, as a country, we are changing over time, and the
• household Economic Survey–measuring the economic wellbeing of New Zealanders.