You might be pleasantly surprised to learn that you have unclaimed money sitting with the IRD just waiting for you to claim it.
If you have a MyIR account it’s easy to claim online.
I’ll outline the steps below with images – these are from my own MyIR account.
How to Claim Unclaimed Money with IRD
Firstly, you’ll need to log on to MyIR.
Then scroll right down to the bottom of the ‘I want to’ screen where you are looking for the option that says:
Apply for unclaimed money – Search and apply for unclaimed money.
As you are already logged in, it will come up with your personal details pre-loaded.
You will be asked if you have ever been known by a different name.
Click through to the next screen
You’ll then be able to search by name.
If you can spot any money here that belongs to you or one of your relatives, you can proceed to the next screen.
This is where you will need to try to find evidence that you are entitled to the unclaimed funds.
According to IRD “Evidence of proof of ownership may include copies of wills, estate records, executive office holder details, invoices or statements. This information is not mandatory, but it may assist in processing your claim”.
You’ll then need to enter a bank account number for your claim to be paid into if you are successful.
What is unclaimed money?
When a bank, insurance company, or other institution holds money and has been unable to contact or locate the owner for 5 years – it is treated as unclaimed money.
You can also search the database for unclaimed money on the IRD website if you don’t have a MyIR account.
Good luck!
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