There is currently no e-invoicing mandate in New Zealand but it is strongly encouraged by the government through the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE).
All central public administrations already accept e-invoices from their suppliers and offer faster payment times with an objective of paying 95% of invoices within 10 business days.
More public entities set to accept e-invoices
With today’s announcement, New Zealand goes even further by requiring more public administrations to accept electronic invoices from their voluntary suppliers. This new requirement will apply from January 1, 2026 to any agency that either sends or receives over 2,000 domestic trade invoices annually.
A complete list of eligible public administrations is available on the MBIE website.
Faster payment delays
The government also intends to reduce payment delays as part of their plan to rebuild the economy and support small businesses. This requirement will roll out in two phases:
- From January 1, 2025, 135 government agencies will aim to pay 90% of e-invoices within 5 business days, and other invoices within 10 business days. This includes the 33 central agencies where this requirement is already in effect.
- From January 1, 2026, this threshold will increase to 95%.
Read the full MBIE announcement here.
