The Tasman is a small sea in geographic terms, but in financial terms it creates a surprising number of complications for writers working across both sides. Different currencies. Different GST rules. Different banking systems. And a widespread assumption on both sides that the other country works roughly the same way — an assumption that quietly costs money.
If you're a New Zealand writer doing work for Australian clients — or an Australian writer working with New Zealand publications — this is the article that saves you from the most common mistakes.
Establish the currency upfront — every single time
This sounds obvious. It is not obvious enough, because it's the mistake writers make most often in cross-Tasman work: assuming. You agree on a fee, you do the work, you send the invoice — and then a conversation happens about whether that was NZD or AUD, which changes the amount by 10–15% in someone's favour.
Before you accept any cross-Tasman commission, establish and confirm: what currency will the invoice be in? Put it in your acceptance email. Put it in your invoice. There should be no ambiguity on either side.
In practice, the currency is usually determined by the client's preference. Australian clients typically prefer to pay in AUD — it's their home currency and aligns with their accounting system. New Zealand publications paying Australian contributors typically pay in NZD for the same reason. Neither is wrong; what matters is that it's agreed.
"The assumption that NZD and AUD are 'basically the same' has quietly cost NZ writers real money over many years."
What the currency difference actually means for your income
The assumption that NZD and AUD are "basically the same" has quietly cost NZ writers real money over many years. The exchange rate between the two fluctuates, but as a rough guide, one Australian dollar has historically been worth somewhere between NZ$1.08 and NZ$1.15. Over the course of a year of Australian work, that difference is meaningful.
If you're regularly earning AUD income, there are two approaches. The first is to invoice in AUD and receive AUD, then convert as needed — ideally using Wise or a similar service rather than your NZ bank, which will offer you a significantly worse exchange rate. The second is to invoice in NZD at a rate that accounts for the conversion, so you know exactly what you're getting. Either approach works; the important thing is doing it deliberately rather than letting the bank make the decision for you.
Bank transfers and why they're expensive
A traditional international bank transfer from Australia to New Zealand involves two fees: a sending fee from the Australian bank (typically AUD$15–30), and often a receiving fee from the NZ bank (NZD$5–15). On top of that, the exchange rate used by the banks is typically 2–4% worse than the mid-market rate — the "real" rate you'd see on Google. On a AUD$1,000 payment, you might lose NZD$30–60 to fees and exchange rate differences. That adds up.
Wise (formerly TransferWise) has changed this calculation significantly. Wise uses the mid-market exchange rate and charges a transparent, low fee — typically 0.5–1.5% rather than the 3–5% total cost of a bank transfer. For both parties, the economics are substantially better. Most Australian business clients are comfortable with Wise; it's widely used across the corporate sector for exactly this reason.
If you're doing regular Australian work, setting up a Wise account is genuinely worth the twenty minutes it takes. You can hold AUD in your Wise account and convert it to NZD at a time of your choosing, which gives you some control over exchange rate timing.
GST across the Tasman
This is where things get slightly technical, but the headline version is simple: if you're a GST-registered NZ writer providing services to an Australian client, you generally don't charge NZ GST. The service is considered an export and is zero-rated — GST applies at 0%.
What this means in practice: your invoice to the Australian client shows the agreed fee with no GST line. You don't collect GST on their behalf; they handle their own Australian GST obligations on their end. You can still claim GST back on your NZ business expenses even though you're not charging GST to this particular client — that's how zero-rating works.
Australian GST is a separate matter. Australia has its own 10% GST, and whether your Australian client charges or pays GST is their concern, not yours. Your invoice doesn't need to engage with Australian GST at all.
If you're not GST-registered in NZ: no GST considerations apply on your side. Invoice the agreed amount, in the agreed currency, and that's the end of it.
Payment terms for Australian clients
Australian publishing and media clients often run on similar payment cycles to their NZ counterparts — 20th of the following month is common, as is 30 days from invoice. Corporate content clients in Australia tend to pay on 30-day or 45-day terms.
A few things to know about chasing late payments from Australian clients: your leverage is the same as with any client — a clear record of the agreed terms, a polite but direct follow-up, and persistence. The Tasman doesn't make it easier or harder to get paid; what makes it easier is having the terms clearly agreed in writing before you start work.
Building a cross-Tasman writing practice
Writing for both markets is genuinely rewarding — you double your potential client base, build relationships across a wider industry, and often find that the two markets are more complementary than they are competitive. Australian publications want NZ perspectives; NZ publications value writers with Australian experience and contacts.
The practical foundations that make it work: clear currency agreements on every commission, a Wise account for receiving AUD payments efficiently, a clean invoicing system that tracks which invoices are in which currency, and a habit of keeping your cross-Tasman income clearly separated in your records at tax time. None of that is complicated — it just needs to be done deliberately from the start.