A New Zealand online store can start small enough that GST is not yet a concern. Then the business grows, turnover approaches the registration threshold, and a question arrives that is easy to leave unmodelled: what happens to my margin when I register, if my prices stay the same?
This guide works through that moment with real arithmetic, covers the GST facts that matter for an online store, and explains the Founding 10,000 offer of 12 months of ORVX Core, free, for eligible Shopify stores.
Every example and amount on this page is illustrative. It shows the method and is not a benchmark, a quote or advice.
The GST facts for a growing store selling online in NZ
GST in New Zealand is charged at a rate of 15%. A business must register if its turnover was at least $60,000 in the last 12 months, or is expected to reach $60,000 in the next 12 months. Both tests matter for GST registration in NZ: a store that expects to cross the line during the coming year has to register before the year is out, not after (Source: Inland Revenue (Te Tari Taake)).
Because GST adds 15% to the net price, the GST inside a GST-inclusive price is three twenty-thirds of it, since 15 / 115 = 3 / 23. The remaining twenty twenty-thirds is revenue.
For goods coming from overseas, a low-value good is a physical good valued at NZ$1,000 or less, excluding GST, and overseas merchants, online marketplaces and redeliverers selling them to New Zealand consumers may need to register and collect GST. Local stores compete with offshore sellers who may be charging it too (Source: Inland Revenue (Te Tari Taake)).
Worked example: the month you register
As an illustration only, suppose a store's turnover has been running at about NZ$5,200 a month. Over 12 months that comes to NZ$62,400, above the threshold, so the store registers. Its best seller is priced at NZ$46, and the owner keeps that price.
Assume the product costs NZ$15, shipping NZ$7.50, payment fees 2.7% of the price plus NZ$0.30, and ad cost per order NZ$9.
| Line | Before registering | Registered, same price | Registered, new price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shelf price | NZ$46.00 | NZ$46.00 | NZ$52.90 |
| GST (three twenty-thirds) | none | -NZ$6.00 | -NZ$6.90 |
| Net revenue | NZ$46.00 | NZ$40.00 | NZ$46.00 |
| Product cost | -NZ$15.00 | -NZ$15.00 | -NZ$15.00 |
| Shipping | -NZ$7.50 | -NZ$7.50 | -NZ$7.50 |
| Payment fees | -NZ$1.54 | -NZ$1.54 | -NZ$1.73 |
| Ad cost per order | -NZ$9.00 | -NZ$9.00 | -NZ$9.00 |
| Profit per order | NZ$12.96 | NZ$6.96 | NZ$12.77 |
In this example, registering with an unchanged price cuts profit per order from NZ$12.96 to NZ$6.96, because NZ$6 of every sale now belongs to Inland Revenue. Raising the price by 15% to NZ$52.90 brings net revenue back to NZ$46, and profit to NZ$12.77; the small gap is the payment fee charged on the higher price.
Whether the market accepts NZ$52.90 is a separate question. Before deciding, it helps to see what comparable stores charge publicly, which the Competitor Store Analyzer reports per currency, and what price your costs require, which the Product Pricing Calculator works out. To keep the comparison simple, the example leaves out any GST on the store's own costs.
Not every product has to move the same way
A price rise across the whole catalog is the simplest answer and rarely the best one. Products with a strong margin may absorb the GST without a change, while thin-margin products may need the full increase or a review of their costs. Working through the top twenty products one by one, with GST taken out of their prices, usually shows where the change actually matters.
What New Zealand stores should check
- Track turnover on a rolling 12-month basis, and look ahead 12 months as well, so registration does not arrive as a surprise.
- Model your top products at their current price with GST taken out, before you register.
- Decide price changes product by product; some may carry the full increase and others not.
- Once registered, make sure revenue in your reports excludes GST.
- Plan stock around long shipping lead times. The Inventory Reorder Calculator uses your supplier's lead time to show when to reorder.
GST has specific rules for some goods and services. Inland Revenue's guidance and your accountant are the authority for your business.
What the Founding 10,000 is
Seeing the effect of a decision like registering for GST, before and after, is exactly what ORVX is for. Its Founding 10,000 offer, which ORVX names the $1.9M Commerce Initiative, lets an eligible Shopify store use ORVX Core for a year without paying: twelve months at $0, no card on file. Places are first come, first served, up to 10,000 stores, and a New Zealand store competes for them alongside stores from everywhere else.
Where does $1.9M come from? Multiply the places by the standard yearly Core price: 10,000 stores x $190 standard annual Core price = $1,900,000. That is a ceiling on the value of the subscriptions being offered, nothing more. No one is paid it: it is not cash, and not funding, a grant or income either.
Year two is your decision. To carry on, you approve Core yourself at $19 a month or $190 a year, billed in US dollars. Intelligence, the larger plan, sits outside the offer at its usual $39 a month or $390 a year. No government agency is involved, and Shopify pays for none of it.
What you get with ORVX Core
| Area | What it shows a New Zealand store |
|---|---|
| Profit | Net profit per order, product and collection, built up from revenue, product costs, margin and expenses |
| Orders | Shopify orders, products, refunds and fulfilment, kept in sync |
| Reports | Any period you pick, in New Zealand dollars if that is your store's currency |
| Customers | Each buyer, their orders and their worth to the business |
| Stock | Units on hand and the cash sitting in them |
| Advertising | Meta and Google spend taken off net profit, next to MER and AOV |
| Connections and alerts | Read-only links to Shopify and ad accounts, plus a flag when a figure needs attention |
Left out of Core: Ask ORVX, NOVA's recommendations and forecasting, all part of Intelligence. GST returns stay outside ORVX entirely.
Claim your place
Getting started takes three steps. First, link the Shopify store, either from the Shopify App Store listing or through an account on orvx.ai. Second, ORVX confirms the store qualifies: it has to be trading, it cannot have held a Founding place before, and there must still be places left. Dev and test stores cannot claim, and a store that already pays for ORVX keeps its current plan. Third, switch Core on. Your year counts from that day, the app shows its last day from day one, and you get a nudge a month, a week and a day before it runs out. There is no charge at the end unless you agree to one.
Places remaining, updated live, and the complete terms: Founding 10,000 page. Ordinary plans: pricing.
Frequently asked questions
Can New Zealand stores join the Founding 10,000?
Yes. Eligible Shopify stores in New Zealand can claim a place. The 10,000 places are a single pool shared by stores in every country.
Will ORVX show my figures in New Zealand dollars?
Yes. Reports use your store's currency and time zone. ORVX's own price after the free year is set in US dollars.
Does ORVX file GST returns with Inland Revenue?
No. ORVX reports on your store's data. GST registration and returns stay with you and your accountant.
Do I need a credit card?
No. Founding Core needs no card or checkout, and nothing is charged during the 12 months.
Is this a government or Shopify scheme?
No. It is ORVX's own offer. It is not a government scheme, and Shopify does not fund it.
Why is it called the $1.9M Commerce Initiative?
Because 10,000 stores x the $190 standard annual Core price is $1.9 million of subscription value at standard prices. It is not money paid to anyone.
Sources
- The $1.9M Commerce Initiative: terms and FAQ (ORVX, checked 26 October 2026)
- GST (goods and services tax) (Inland Revenue (Te Tari Taake), checked 26 October 2026)
- Registering for GST (Inland Revenue (Te Tari Taake), checked 26 October 2026)
- GST on low-value imported goods (Inland Revenue (Te Tari Taake), checked 26 October 2026)
General information only: tax, duty and import rules change and depend on your situation, so check with an accountant or the official source before acting.