How does a self employed person apply for paid parental leave?

Who can apply?

To receive paid parental leave, eligible self-employed parents need to be taking leave from their business.  However, you may maintain a level of oversight over your business, do occasional administrative tasks to ensure the continuity of your business, receive income that was earned prior to the start of your leave or receive income from work undertaken by other people in your business.

The application process has three steps:

1. The mother or primary caregiver (in the case of adoption) needs to fill in the application form. The form is IR888 for self-employed applicants.
   
   It is available on the Department of Labour website (www.ers.dol.govt.nz) or by calling 0800 20 90 20 during normal business hours. 
2. Your completed form needs to be accompanied by either:
   • A statement and declaration by a Chartered Accountant, or
   • A declaration made by you, witnessed by a Justice of the Peace or other person authorised to hear declarations under the Oaths and Declarations Act 1957.
   Both declarations are included in the self-employed application form which is available from the Department of Labour.
   
   The declarations will confirm:
   • That you are self-employed
   • Your total net income for the six or 12 months prior to the expected date of delivery or adoption
   • Your average weekly earnings for the six or 12 months prior to the expected date of delivery or adoption.
3. To complete the process, the following documents must be attached together and sent to the Inland Revenue Department (IRD):

• The mother or primary care-giver’s completed paid parental leave application form (IR888),
• Evidence of pregnancy or evidence you have assumed the care of a child under six who you intend to adopt.

Evidence of pregnancy:
A certificate, or a copy of a certificate, from a medical practitioner or midwife stating that the mother is pregnant and the expected date of delivery
Evidence of adoption:

• A letter from a Social Worker saying you are keeping or will be keeping a child in your home with a view to adoption; or
• A certified copy of an interim order of a court under section 6(1)(b) of the Adoption Act 1955; or
• A copy of a statutory declaration to the effect that you have assumed the care of a child that you plan to adopt either on your own, or jointly with your spouse or partner.

Once your application has been processed, IRD will send you notification of whether or not you are entitled to paid parental leave, how much you will receive and when you will receive your payments.

What if I am transferring all or part of my entitlement to my partner?

For you to transfer some or all of your entitlement to your partner, he or she must meet eligibility criteria regarding their employment or self-employment. 

If you are transferring all or part of your entitlement, you and your partner must fill in a paid parental leave transfer application form

• If your partner is an employee use the application form IR881
• If your partner is self-employed use IR889  

If your partner is also self-employed, their application must be accompanied by a declaration by a Chartered Accountant or a self-declaration witnessed by a Justice of the Peace or other person authorised to hear declarations under the Oaths and Declarations Act 1957.

The transfer form must be attached to your application form, and sent to IRD at one time.

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This page was last updated on: 22-Jun-2007 and is current.