Australia super and tax for Zimbabwean workers: what leaves your pay
Tips · 2026-11-03 · 9 min read
If you work in Australia from Zimbabwe, three things change your take-home pay: income tax, superannuation (super) and, for some people, the Medicare levy. In New Zealand the equivalents are an IRD number and KiwiSaver, but KiwiSaver is closed to most people on a work visa. This guide explains the basics in plain words. It is general information, not tax advice.
What is different about pay in Australia and New Zealand
At home, a pay slip is often a simple total. In Australia, an employer usually pays wages into your bank account and gives you a pay slip showing earnings, tax paid and super contributions. Those three lines are the ones to learn first.
Visa holders and migrant workers also have the same workplace rights and protections as all other employees in Australia, including pay and leave, according to the Fair Work Ombudsman. Tax and super are separate from those rights, which is why they deserve their own check.
If you are still choosing between the two countries, our look at jobs, regions and pay in New Zealand sets the wider picture.
Latest update: the super rate from 1 July 2026
The ATO lists the general superannuation guarantee rate as 12.00% for the period 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027. Rates are set for a period, so check the ATO page again when you read your contract, not months later from memory. Your contract and pay slip show how super is handled in your own job.
Super: the part of your pay you do not see
Super is retirement savings held in a fund. For a worker from Zimbabwe on a temporary visa, the practical questions are: is super being paid, into which fund, and what happens to it when you leave?
Start with your pay slip. It should show super contributions. If it does not, ask your employer to explain. Do not rely on a recruiter's message or a WhatsApp voice note for this.
The Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) is a temporary visa that lets an employer sponsor a suitably skilled worker to fill a position, and our guide to moving to Australia from Zimbabwe on the 482 visa covers that route. The visa does not change how super or tax is worked out, but your residency status for tax purposes can.
Resident or foreign resident: which tax table applies
The ATO publishes separate tax rates for Australian residents and for foreign residents. Which one applies depends on your residency status for tax purposes, which is not the same as holding a visa. Use the ATO's own pages to see how it applies to you, and ask a registered tax agent if the answer is unclear.
The table shows both sets of rates. They are for different years (2026-27 for residents, 2025-26 for foreign residents, the latest year the ATO foreign resident page shows), so do not compare them as if they were the same year.
| Taxable income band | Australian resident 2026-27 | Foreign resident 2025-26 |
|---|---|---|
| Up to $18,200 | Nil | 30c for each $1 |
| Over $18,200 up to $45,000 | 15c for each $1 over $18,200 | 30c for each $1 |
| Over $45,000 up to $135,000 | $4,020 plus 30c for each $1 over $45,000 | 30c for each $1 |
| Over $135,000 up to $190,000 | $31,020 plus 37c for each $1 over $135,000 | $40,500 plus 37c for each $1 over $135,000 |
| Over $190,000 | $51,370 plus 45c for each $1 over $190,000 | $60,850 plus 45c for each $1 over $190,000 |
These are Australian dollar amounts and are not converted into any other currency here. The ATO's resident rates do not include the Medicare levy of 2%. Foreign residents for tax purposes are not required to pay the Medicare levy. The ATO foreign resident page showed no 2026-27 table on the day we checked, so this guide quotes none.
Read the ATO's foreign resident tax rates page for the current tables before you plan around a figure.
Your tax file number
Temporary visitors with a valid work rights visa can apply for a tax file number (TFN) online through the ATO's Individual Auto-Registration system. It is free, and the TFN should arrive within 28 days. See the ATO's TFN page for temporary visitors.
Do not pay anyone to get a TFN for you. The application costs nothing, and anyone charging for it is a warning sign.
Leaving Australia: the departing super payment
When people go home, super left behind is the item most often forgotten. The ATO runs the departing Australia superannuation payment (DASP). A DASP can be claimed when:
- the super was built up on a temporary resident visa (not subclass 405 or 410);
- the visa has ceased and you have left Australia with no other active Australian visa; and
- you are neither an Australian nor a New Zealand citizen, and not an Australian permanent resident.
A DASP cannot be claimed until after you leave Australia, but the ATO recommends starting the application before you leave, using the DASP online application system. The ATO's DASP page has the full conditions.
| Part of the payment | DASP tax rate (from 1 July 2017) |
|---|---|
| Tax-free component | Nil |
| Taxed element | 35% |
| Untaxed element | 45% |
Keep your fund's name and your member number somewhere safe. You will need them when you claim from Harare, Bulawayo or wherever you settle.
New Zealand: IRD number and KiwiSaver
An IRD number identifies you for tax in New Zealand, is kept for life and is free to apply for, according to Inland Revenue. If you accept a job there, get one early.
KiwiSaver is different. Inland Revenue says it is for New Zealand citizens and people entitled to live in New Zealand indefinitely, and that people on a temporary, visitor, work or student visa cannot join. A worker arriving on an Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) should not count on KiwiSaver. Our AEWV guide for Zimbabwean workers explains who the visa suits, and Inland Revenue's KiwiSaver joining page has the rule as it stands.
If you are comparing payslips across the two countries, MigrateJobs has an explainer on the tax, super and leave lines on an Australian payslip. It is written for Indian workers, but the lines it explains are the same ones you will see.
Steps to take before your first payday
- Ask for the pay terms in writing: the pay figure, how often you are paid and whether it is before tax.
- Apply for your tax file number (Australia) or IRD number (New Zealand) as soon as your visa lets you.
- Open a bank account, because wages are usually paid into one.
- Give your employer your tax number and, in Australia, the details of the super fund you choose.
- When the first pay slip arrives, check earnings, tax paid and super contributions against your contract.
- Keep every pay slip. You will want them for your tax return and for any DASP claim.
Ready to look at roles with employers who can support a visa? Get your CV in order first (Build AI CV can help you present your work history clearly), then browse current jobs or the accounting and finance category, and read each ad's pay and sponsorship wording carefully.
Common mistakes
- Treating a gross figure as take-home pay. The offer is before tax. Ask what the number covers.
- Assuming a visa decides your tax table. Your residency status for tax purposes decides it, and the ATO makes that call.
- Forgetting super when leaving. A DASP is claimed after you leave, and starting early helps.
- Expecting KiwiSaver on a work visa. Inland Revenue says people on a temporary work visa cannot join.
- Paying a fee to a "tax agent" on WhatsApp. A TFN and an IRD number are free to apply for.
- Using old rates. Rates change by year. Check the ATO or Inland Revenue page on the day you decide.
For ways to keep up with rule changes in general, see how to track a visa rule that changes without notice.
Frequently asked questions
Can I claim my super back if I leave Australia and go home to Zimbabwe?
Possibly. The ATO says a departing Australia superannuation payment can be claimed when the super was built up on a temporary resident visa (not subclass 405 or 410), the visa has ceased and you have left Australia with no other active Australian visa. You must also not be an Australian or New Zealand citizen or an Australian permanent resident. Read the ATO page before you leave, because your own facts decide.
Do I pay the same tax as an Australian when I work in Australia?
Not necessarily. The ATO publishes one set of tax rates for Australian residents and a separate set for foreign residents, and your residency status for tax purposes decides which table applies to you. The ATO makes that call from your circumstances, so your visa type alone does not answer it. Check the ATO pages or ask a registered tax agent.
Can I join KiwiSaver on an Accredited Employer Work Visa?
Inland Revenue says KiwiSaver is for New Zealand citizens and people entitled to live in New Zealand indefinitely. People on a temporary, visitor, work or student visa cannot join. If your status changes later, for example after a residence visa, check the Inland Revenue page again.
Do I need a tax file number before my first day at work in Australia?
The ATO says temporary visitors with a valid work rights visa can apply for a tax file number online, that it is free and that it should arrive within 28 days. Because it can take that long, many people apply as soon as they are allowed to. Your employer will ask for the number when you start.
Does a job offer tell me how much I will take home?
No. An offer or contract states a gross figure, and tax comes off it. Which tax table applies, and whether the Medicare levy applies to you, depends on your residency status for tax purposes. Ask what the figure covers, then compare it with your first pay slip, which shows earnings, tax paid and super contributions.
Key takeaways
- The ATO lists the general super guarantee rate as 12.00% for 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027.
- Your tax table depends on your residency status for tax purposes, not your visa alone.
- A TFN and an IRD number are free to apply for; never pay a middleman.
- A departing super payment may be claimable after you leave, subject to the ATO's conditions.
- KiwiSaver is closed to people on temporary work visas.
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