On 21 July 2026 the Government announced New Zealand's Research and Development Tax Incentive (RDTI) has now supported more than $10 billion of R&D spending, taking under seven years to grow from its first $1B. More small businesses enrolled in the past year than in any year since 2021, and Budget 2026 will introduce in-year payments so businesses receive their R&D tax credits sooner instead of waiting until after year-end.
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NZ R&D Tax Incentive tops $10B; in-year payments coming to boost cashflow
Why this matters for founders
NZ founders doing eligible R&D should enrol in the RDTI (15% credit on qualifying spend) via MBIE/IRD, and the incoming in-year payments mean the credit can improve runway during the year rather than only at tax time.
Source: Beehive.govt.nz (NZ Government)
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