Apex Advice 0800 809 009

For self-employed Kiwis

You might be overpaying ACC by thousands a year.

Most self-employed Kiwis sit on ACC's default cover and never check it. Answer three quick questions and see what you could dial it back to, and what you'd free up every month.

Your free ACC assessment

See your likely ACC levy now, what the minimum would cost, and what you could free up. No jargon. No login. All done in under 60 seconds.

✓ Free✓ No obligation✓ 100% private

Question 1 of 3

How old are you?

We use this to check what private cover would cost if you redirect the savings. Nothing is shared.

Question 2 of 3

What's your line of work?

Your trade sets your ACC work levy. A sparky and a roofer pay very different rates.

Question 3 of 3

Roughly what do you earn a year?

Your taxable profit before tax. A rough figure is fine. We only use it to estimate.

$90,000

A solid middle for most self-employed Kiwis.

$30k$140k$250k+
Your ACC statement 1 Apr 2026 – 31 Mar 2027

You could free up about

$•••

a month · $••• a year

ACC levy now (your income)$•••
ACC dialled back to the minimum$•••
You free up each year$•••
At the minimum, ACC still pays you about $••• a week (before tax) if an accident stops you working. The trade-off: that's based on the minimum cover, not your full income.

What you do with the freed-up cash is up to you

Buy private income protectionACC only covers accidents. Private cover can also cover illness, the thing far more likely to stop you working. Often broader cover for similar money.
Keep itPut it toward the mortgage, the business, or your KiwiSaver. Your money, your call.

An Apex Advice adviser checks your numbers and your cover mix. No cost. No obligation.

Your statement is ready

Where should we send your breakdown?

It's free, and there's no obligation to do anything with it.

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By submitting your information, you confirm that you have read and understood our Privacy Policy. On the next screen, you'll be given the opportunity to book an appointment with a qualified Apex Advice adviser. We will never sell your details. Estimate only, not financial advice.

Why most self-employed Kiwis overpay.

01
You got put on the default

When you started working for yourself, ACC put you on standard CoverPlus and levied you on your full income. Most people never touch it again.

02
You can choose your cover instead

CoverPlus Extra lets you set your own cover level, as low as $40,401 for 2026/27. Your levy is worked out on that figure, not your full income.

03
That gap is what you free up

The difference between your current levy and the minimum is real money back in your pocket every month. The calculator shows you roughly how much.

The bit nobody tells you

ACC only covers accidents. Not illness.

Break a leg on the job and ACC steps in. Get cancer, have a heart attack, or burn out and can't work? ACC pays nothing.

Most long-term time off work comes from illness, not injury. So paying top dollar for accident-only cover can leave a big hole.

That's the play an Apex Advice expert can walk you through: dial ACC back to the minimum, then put the savings toward private cover that handles both. Or keep the cash. Either way, you've checked it instead of overpaying on autopilot.

The fine print. This tool gives a rough indication only, based on ACC's published 2026/27 levy rates (Earners' levy $1.52 and Working Safer levy $0.08 per $100 of liable earnings, plus the work levy for your occupation, all shown excluding GST). It assumes you're a full-time self-employed person on ACC's standard CoverPlus, applies the 2026/27 minimum and maximum liable earnings of $50,501 and $156,641, and compares that with CoverPlus Extra set at the 2026/27 minimum agreed cover of $40,401. Your actual levy depends on your exact classification unit, the income you file with Inland Revenue, and your circumstances. Figures exclude GST, which is claimable if you're GST registered. Reducing your ACC cover reduces the amount ACC would pay you if you're injured. This estimate is indicative only. Your actual ACC levy and CoverPlus Extra eligibility will depend on your correct business classification, taxable earnings, selected cover and confirmation from ACC. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by ACC.

Apex Advice Group holds a licence issued by the Financial Markets Authority (FMA) to provide financial advice. A copy of our licence disclosure and publicly available information about our financial advisers is available at apexadvice.co.nz/licence or by calling 0800 809 009. This page provides general information only and is not personalised financial advice. Rates current for the 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027 levy year.