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COVID-19 support for businesses

General financial support available to businesses:

 
What it does Available for  How to apply

COVID-19 Leave Support Scheme

Helps to pay employees if they can't work due to Ministry of Health advice. The Leave Support Scheme is a weekly payment. It is paid at the following rates:

  • $600.00 a week for full-time workers who were working 20 hours or more a week.
  • $359 a week for part-time workers who were working less than 20 hours a week.
Businesses that have employees who are unable to work due to MOH advice.  Apply via WINZ. Call 0800 40 80 40 for questions.

COVID-19 Small Business Cashflow Scheme (SBCS)
Loans of up to $100,000, interest-free if repaid within three years.

A 'top up loan' is also being introduced. The top up loan will allow those businesses that have already accessed a loan to draw down an additional $10,000 with a new repayment period of 5 years and the first 2 years being interest free.

 

Businesses with 50 or fewer FTEs that have been adversely affected by COVID-19 (full details here). Apply via IRD by 31 December 2023
 

IRD - support for businesses:

IRD can support businesses in the following ways:

  • Write-off penalties, interest incurred due to hardship or reduced cashflow.
     
  • Extend no interest timeframes for IRD Small Business loans. Write-off loans for hardship.
  • Show more leniency for tax payment deferrals, tax payment write-offs for hardship and simplify the process.

Please contact IRD if you need support. 

How businesses should operate under COVID-19

Up-to-date information about how businesses should operate under COVID-19 is available in over 30 languages, including:

A full list is available here.

Vaccination information

An up-to-date list of vaccination centres in and around the city centre is available here.

Testing information

Information about testing centres in and around the city centre is available here.