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New Zealand company help: answers by topic

10 answers for owners and founders of a New Zealand company, from ordering to banking, annual compliance and what happens after incorporation. General information, not legal or tax advice: your specialist confirms how it applies to you.

Start in New ZealandNew Zealand company formation

Getting started

Do my documents need to be certified for a New Zealand company?

Not for the Companies Office filing, which uses the details and online consents of each director and shareholder. We verify your passport and address proof during KYC, and banks may ask for certified copies. New Zealand applies the Apostille Convention, so an apostille is usually enough when a foreign document must be legalised.

Certification and apostilleSource: Status table: Apostille Convention, Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH) (accessed Sep 2026)

Which numbers will my New Zealand company receive?

A company number and a New Zealand Business Number (NZBN) when it is registered, plus an IRD number if you apply for one in the same application. The NZBN is the identifier suppliers and government agencies use to look you up. All three appear on the documents in your portal.

Source: Incorporating a company, New Zealand Companies Office (accessed Sep 2026)

Pricing & payment

Is the New Zealand annual return fee included in my renewal?

Yes. The Companies Office charges a fee each time the annual return is filed, and your renewal of a fixed quote on Starter covers it, together with the registered office and our filing work. Tax returns, GST returns and a resident director are quoted separately.

Company renewalSource: Schedule of fees, New Zealand Companies Office (accessed Sep 2026)

Banking

What will a New Zealand bank ask for?

The certificate of incorporation, the extract from the Companies Register, identity checks on every director and on owners above the bank's threshold, and an explanation of what the company does and where its money comes from. A trading address or customers in New Zealand help. The bank decides.

Business account support

Compliance

When is the New Zealand company income tax return due?

By 7 July after the end of the tax year, unless the company has an extension of time. A company linked to a tax agent usually gets an extension, which can run to 31 March of the following year. Penalties and interest can apply if you miss the date without one.

Accounting and tax filingSource: Extension of time arrangements, Inland Revenue (IRD) (accessed Sep 2026)

What happens if my New Zealand annual return is not filed?

The Registrar can remove the company from the register. Once removed, the company no longer exists, and bringing it back takes a restoration application and time. The filing month is set at incorporation, and we file in that month each year as part of your renewal.

Company renewalSource: Completing an annual return, New Zealand Companies Office (accessed Sep 2026)

After incorporation

How do I add or remove a director of my New Zealand company?

Register a new director within 20 working days of the appointment, with that person's signed consent, and notify a resignation or removal within 20 working days as well. The company must still have a director who lives in New Zealand, or in Australia and is a director of an Australian company. We prepare and file the changes.

Corporate changesSource: Registering the appointment of a director, New Zealand Companies Office (accessed Sep 2026)

Which other changes must I report to the New Zealand Companies Office?

Changes to directors' names or addresses, the registered office, the address for service, shareholders and the constitution all need to be filed. Most have short deadlines, often 20 working days, so tell us as soon as something changes. We keep the register current as part of your renewal.

Corporate changesSource: Reporting to the Companies Office, New Zealand Companies Office (accessed Sep 2026)

How do I close a New Zealand company that has stopped trading?

Apply to remove it from the register. You need a shareholders' special resolution, where required, and a no-objection letter from Inland Revenue. The Companies Office then publishes a notice, and if nobody objects within 20 working days the company is removed. A company with debts it cannot pay goes into liquidation instead.

Company closureSource: Applying to remove your company from the register, New Zealand Companies Office (accessed Sep 2026)

What should I sort out before closing my New Zealand company?

Stop trading, pay every debt, distribute the remaining assets and file any outstanding annual returns and tax returns. The Inland Revenue no-objection letter must be no more than 6 months old when you apply. After removal, keep the business records for 7 years.

Company closureSource: Before you close your company, New Zealand Companies Office (accessed Sep 2026)

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