Payroll software · New Zealand
Crystal Payroll
Auckland-made cloud payroll with automatic IRD payday filing, running since 2005
Market position
Crystal Payroll is a New Zealand cloud payroll and timesheet service based in Birkenhead, Auckland, which says it has been running since 2005 and serves thousands of Kiwi businesses. It says it is an IRD-accredited PAYE intermediary and files payday returns to IRD for you two working days after payday, from a Payday Filing Dashboard. It handles KiwiSaver and holiday pay calculations, including for variable-rate and shift workers, and connects to Xero, MYOB, Reckon and Farm Focus.
New Zealand-specific note
Crystal Payroll says it is an IRD-accredited PAYE intermediary and files payday returns automatically two working days after the pay date. It says it manages holiday pay and leave calculations under New Zealand law, including for staff on variable rates and shift workers, and employees can submit timesheets and leave requests through its app.
Pros
- + Automatic IRD payday filing from a Payday Filing Dashboard
- + Holiday pay and leave calculations for variable-rate and shift workers
- + Employee app for timesheets and leave requests
- + No minimum period, and money back within 30 days of your first pay run, Crystal says
- + Connects to Xero, MYOB, Reckon and Farm Focus
Cons
- − Published price covers up to 5 employees; bigger teams use a calculator or ask sales
- − One-off $50 registration fee, and training costs $60 an hour
- − Data migration priced on request
Typical New Zealand pricing
From $19.90/month for up to 5 employees, excl. GST; other headcounts priced by the site's cost calculator (contact sales above 500 employees). One-off $50 registration fee; optional training $60/hour; data migration quoted
Why this matters for New Zealand trades
Only EWRB-registered and licensed workers can carry out or supervise prescribed electrical work, with the practising licence renewed every 2 years; the PGDB registers and licenses plumbers, gasfitters and drainlayers and prosecutes unauthorised work; and Restricted Building Work on homes must be done or supervised by a Licensed Building Practitioner. WorkSafe enforces the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 and says amendments take effect on 1 April 2027. The payroll tools listed here file payday information with Inland Revenue, and some act as PAYE intermediaries that pay PAYE to Inland Revenue for you. Master Builders and Master Plumbers membership is voluntary and does not replace licensing.
New Zealand trades vendor selection is shaped by registration and licensing (the EWRB for electrical workers, the PGDB for plumbers, gasfitters and drainlayers, and the LBP scheme for Restricted Building Work on homes), payday filing with Inland Revenue, KiwiSaver deductions, Holidays Act leave calculations, 15% GST, and health and safety duties under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015.
Frequently asked
Is Crystal Payroll a good fit for New Zealand trades?
Crystal Payroll is a New Zealand cloud payroll and timesheet service based in Birkenhead, Auckland, which says it has been running since 2005 and serves thousands of Kiwi businesses. It says it is an IRD-accredited PAYE intermediary and files payday returns to IRD for you two working days after payday, from a Payday Filing Dashboard. It handles KiwiSaver and holiday pay calculations, including for variable-rate and shift workers, and connects to Xero, MYOB, Reckon and Farm Focus. Crystal Payroll says it is an IRD-accredited PAYE intermediary and files payday returns automatically two working days after the pay date. It says it manages holiday pay and leave calculations under New Zealand law, including for staff on variable rates and shift workers, and employees can submit timesheets and leave requests through its app.
What does Crystal Payroll cost in New Zealand?
From $19.90/month for up to 5 employees, excl. GST; other headcounts priced by the site's cost calculator (contact sales above 500 employees). One-off $50 registration fee; optional training $60/hour; data migration quoted. Pricing and availability can change by region; confirm current New Zealand pricing on the vendor's site before committing.
Does Crystal Payroll publish its prices?
Yes. Crystal Payroll is Tier S in our New Zealand directory, which means our check found its prices published on its own website (see the typical pricing above). The tier is not a quality ranking, so compare it against the alternatives for your trade and region.