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Organizing an event

Why are you collecting VAT on my events?

Eventbrite is required to collect New Zealand goods and services tax (GST) on the Eventbrite service fee from New Zealand organisers. Eventbrite won’t collect New Zealand GST on the Eventbrite service fee if you provide us with a valid Inland Revenue Number (IRD) for GST purposes. Without your IRD number, Eventbrite is required to collect and remit New Zealand GST on the Eventbrite fees at a rate of 15%.

In this article

  • — New Zealand GST on the Eventbrite Service Fee

  • — Complete your tax settings

  • — See collected GST

  • — How GST on Eventbrite fees affects your payouts

NOTE: Consult a tax professional if you have questions about your tax obligations. Eventbrite is unable to offer tax advice.

— New Zealand GST on the Eventbrite Service Fee

An Inland Revenue Number (IRD) is used to help Eventbrite identify businesses for tax collection purposes. Eventbrite is required to charge GST on the Eventbrite service fee at a rate of 15%, unless you provide us with a verified IRD number. 

We collect your IRD number for each event rather than for your entire account. You’ll need to enter your IRD number under Tax Options for each individual event.

— Complete your tax settings

Select an event and click “Tax” (under “Payments & Tax"). Then, answer the question, “Are you a GST-registered business with a New Zealand IRD/GST number?”

  • If you are not a registered business with an IRD number: Select “No”. Then, Eventbrite will collect and remit GST.

  • If you are a registered business with an IRD number: Select “Yes”. Enter your valid IRD number and complete your tax settings. Eventbrite won’t collect GST on the Eventbrite service fee charged to you for using Eventbrite.

— See collected GST

To view GST charged on the Eventbrite Fee for each order, export your Orders report. You'll see a column labelled "Tax on Eventbrite Fees”. Depending on your payment processor, you can also: 

  • Download an Event Invoice: any Eventbrite fee and applicable GST charged to you for the event will show as a separate column and line item. The Event Invoice date is the date the invoice was downloaded. It’s best to export the event invoice within 30 days from the event end date. (Eventbrite Payment Processing only)

  • View your monthly invoice: Eventbrite will send an invoice on the first day of each month for fees and applicable taxes incurred in the previous month. (PayPal only)

— How GST on Eventbrite fees affects your payouts

Your payouts may be affected depending on how you’ve set up your Eventbrite fees and tax.

  • If you pass Eventbrite fees on to attendees (default setting): the GST is also passed on and you won’t notice any difference in your payout. The GST amount will be charged on top of Eventbrite fees and paid by the attendee.

  • If you absorb Eventbrite fees: the tax will also be absorbed. It won’t be paid by the attendee and will reduce your payout.

Still have questions?