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Urgent cash, tax and payroll
Urgent business cash usually comes from one of two places: an unsecured loan or line of credit sized to your turnover, where decisions are sometimes same day, or a property-secured loan that can in some cases be funded within 24 hours of approval.
Questions on this line
This line is for the calls that start with a date: wages due Thursday, GST on the 28th, a provisional tax instalment, a supplier who wants paying before they deliver. The answers here explain what can realistically move quickly, what slows things down, and which kind of funding suits a short, sharp gap versus a problem that keeps coming back.
- Can I get a business loan this week? Often, yes. Unsecured business loans can sometimes be decided the same day, and property-secured loans can in some cases be funded within 24 hours of approval — the…
- How do I pay a big IRD bill without draining cash? You have three main options: ask Inland Revenue for an instalment arrangement, use tax pooling for provisional tax timing, or pay IRD in full with a business loan…
- Can I cover payroll while customers pay late? Yes. A business line of credit or a short-term unsecured loan sized to your turnover can bridge payroll while invoices are outstanding, and a property-secured loan…
- What's a business line of credit and do I need one? A business line of credit is an approved limit you can draw on, repay and draw again, paying only for what you use — it suits businesses with recurring timing gaps…
What counts as an urgent cash call?
Most urgent calls fall into four patterns: a pay run that's short, a tax payment that's due or overdue, a supplier who wants paying before they'll deliver, or a customer who's paying late on a big invoice. They feel different, but they share one feature — a fixed date. The first job on the call is to work backwards from that date and rule options in or out.
If the gap is small and recurring, a line of credit is usually the tidiest fix. If it's a one-off, a short unsecured loan may do. If it's large or tangled up with IRD arrears, property-secured funding often clears it in one move.
Tax dates to keep in view
GST is usually due on the 28th of the month after each period (7 May for March periods and 15 January for November periods). Employer deductions are due by the 20th of the following month for most small and medium employers. Standard-option provisional tax for a 31 March balance date falls on 28 August, 15 January and 7 May. When two of these land in the same week, even healthy businesses feel it. Our guide to GST and provisional tax cash planning maps the year out.
The honest test
Short-term funding fixes timing, not losses. If the gap is getting deeper every month, the right first call may be to your accountant. Our lending specialists will tell you plainly if they think that's where you are.
Before you call about this
- Getting ready What to have ready when you call a lender Have five things within reach: who the business is (NZBN, owners), what you need and why, recent business bank statements, photo ID, and — if property is involved — the address, owners and current mortgage balance. Read the guide
- Getting ready How long business funding really takes in NZ — and what slows it down Unsecured business loans can sometimes be decided the same day; property-secured loans usually take a few days to a couple of weeks overall and can in some cases be funded within 24 hours of approval; bank business loans often take several weeks — and the biggest delays are usually missing documents and signatures, not the lender. Read the guide
- Getting ready How to prepare a cash flow forecast A cash flow forecast lists the cash you expect in and out of the business week by week or month by month, starting from today's bank balance, so you can see your lowest point before you reach it — and how much funding, if any, you actually need. Read the guide
- Tax and cash flow GST and provisional tax: planning the cash GST is usually due on the 28th of the month after each taxable period (7 May for March periods, 15 January for November periods), and standard-option provisional tax for a 31 March balance date is due on 28 August, 15 January and 7 May — so plan cash around those dates, not around when you feel flush. Read the guide
- Tax and cash flow IRD instalment arrangement or a business loan? An IRD instalment arrangement is often best for smaller tax debts you can clear within months from normal trading; a business loan tends to suit larger or mixed tax debts, situations where penalties are escalating, or when you need a clean IRD record for a bank, tender or sale. Read the guide
- Tax and cash flow Paying staff and PAYE when cash is tight Staff wages and employer deductions (PAYE, KiwiSaver, student loan and child support) come first: most small and medium employers file employment information each payday and pay deductions to Inland Revenue by the 20th of the following month, and falling behind is costly. Read the guide
Quick answers: urgent cash & tax
What's the quickest business funding in New Zealand?
For modest amounts, unsecured loans and lines of credit assessed on bank statements, where decisions are sometimes same day. For larger amounts, property-secured loans with a clean title can move within days, and in some cases funds are paid within 24 hours of approval.
Can I use a loan to pay GST or PAYE?
Yes. Paying tax is a legitimate business purpose, and property-secured business loans can refinance or pay out existing IRD debt.
Should I call before or after the due date?
Before, wherever possible. More options are open when there's time to gather documents and talk to Inland Revenue if needed.
Rather talk it through?
A lending specialist will listen to what's going on and tell you straight what's realistic. Enquiring is free, takes about 60 seconds and doesn't affect your credit score.