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When the Registrar removes your company

Why this happens and how to object

The Registrar of Companies has authority to remove a company from the Companies Register if you haven't complied with your obligations under the Companies Act 1993, or if your company has been liquidated or amalgamated with another company.

If you don't meet your obligations under the Act

We can remove your company from the Companies Register if:

  • you intentionally provide inaccurate information to us
  • your company's directors or shareholders persistently fail to comply with duties relating to the company under the Act
  • it doesn't have a director living in:
    • New Zealand, or
    • Australia and who is a director of a company incorporated in Australia.

What it means to be a director

Your company can also be removed if we're satisfied that you're no longer in business and there's no reason for your company to continue to be on the Companies Register. For example, we may conclude that your business is no longer operating if you don't:

  • file an annual return for your company
  • respond to requests for information that you must supply to us.

Reporting to the Companies Office

If your company is in liquidation

We must remove the company if:

  • your liquidator has sent the final report for the liquidation, or
  • no liquidator is acting for the company.

What happens during liquidation

Amalgamating with another company

If your company no longer exists because of an amalgamation, we remove it from the register on the day we issue a certificate of amalgamation.

Applying for company amalgamations

If you don't want your company removed

We send you a notice if your company is going to be removed from the register. We also publish a notice on our website.

News and notices

To stop the removal, within 20 working days, you must:

  • comply with any conditions stated in the notice, or
  • object to the removal.

Objecting to the removal of a company

All help topics

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