Payroll software · New Zealand
Thankyou Payroll
NZ payroll that files and pays PAYE to IRD for you, free for registered charities
Market position
Thankyou Payroll is a New Zealand cloud payroll service founded in Dunedin in 2009 and now based in Wellington; it says it is owned by Generous Ventures, which grew out of the Thankyou Charitable Trust, and puts its profits back into communities. It says it is an IRD-accredited PAYE intermediary: employers transfer the gross payroll to Thankyou, which pays staff, files payday information and pays deductions to IRD. It says over 7,000 organisations use it. RNZ reported on 10 September 2026 that Thankyou Payroll was caught up in a global breach of the Metabase reporting tool that exposed names, IRD numbers, addresses, bank account details and payment histories.
New Zealand-specific note
Thankyou Payroll says it files payday information and pays PAYE, KiwiSaver, student loan and child support deductions to IRD for you on every plan. It calculates ordinary and average weekly pay and relevant and average daily pay for Holidays Act leave, tracks annual and sick leave balances, and posts pay journals to Xero.
Pros
- + PAYE intermediary service (payday filing and IRD payments) on every plan
- + Published prices with a monthly cap; you pay only for pays you run
- + No setup fee or contract, and nothing to pay until your first pay
- + Free for registered charities
- + Xero journals, configurable timesheets and an employee app
Cons
- − Per-pay fee makes weekly pay runs cost more, up to the monthly cap
- − Gross payroll must reach Thankyou before payday (2 days ahead on the 2 Day plan)
- − Hit by a September 2026 data breach via the Metabase reporting tool, per RNZ
Typical New Zealand pricing
2 Day plan: $6 per pay + $2 per employee; Fast plan (overnight processing): $6 per pay + $2.50 per employee; + GST. Monthly caps excl. GST: $44 (1-3 employees), $79 (4-10), $159 (11-30), $259 (31-50), $399 (51+). No setup fee or contract; free until first pay; $0 for registered charities
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 Thankyou Payroll a good fit for New Zealand trades?
Thankyou Payroll is a New Zealand cloud payroll service founded in Dunedin in 2009 and now based in Wellington; it says it is owned by Generous Ventures, which grew out of the Thankyou Charitable Trust, and puts its profits back into communities. It says it is an IRD-accredited PAYE intermediary: employers transfer the gross payroll to Thankyou, which pays staff, files payday information and pays deductions to IRD. It says over 7,000 organisations use it. RNZ reported on 10 September 2026 that Thankyou Payroll was caught up in a global breach of the Metabase reporting tool that exposed names, IRD numbers, addresses, bank account details and payment histories. Thankyou Payroll says it files payday information and pays PAYE, KiwiSaver, student loan and child support deductions to IRD for you on every plan. It calculates ordinary and average weekly pay and relevant and average daily pay for Holidays Act leave, tracks annual and sick leave balances, and posts pay journals to Xero.
What does Thankyou Payroll cost in New Zealand?
2 Day plan: $6 per pay + $2 per employee; Fast plan (overnight processing): $6 per pay + $2.50 per employee; + GST. Monthly caps excl. GST: $44 (1-3 employees), $79 (4-10), $159 (11-30), $259 (31-50), $399 (51+). No setup fee or contract; free until first pay; $0 for registered charities. Pricing and availability can change by region; confirm current New Zealand pricing on the vendor's site before committing.
Does Thankyou Payroll publish its prices?
Yes. Thankyou 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.