Registering a shareholder

Who can be a shareholder

You can only register a shareholder in your company if they're:

• an individual person
• an NZ company, or
• another legal entity, such as an overseas registered company or limited partnership.

Registering shareholders when you incorporate

When you submit your online application for incorporation, you must register each shareholder.

You must record each shareholder's personal details and state how many shares they hold in your company. Depending on the type of shareholder, you need to provide:

• for individuals — a full legal name, residential address, and an Inland Revenue number if the shareholder is an New Zealand resident, and you're registering your company for tax.
• for registered New Zealand companies — a full company name and incorporation or registration number.
• for trustees — a full legal name and residential address for each trustee jointly holding shares.
• for other entities — a full legal name, country of origin and registered address.

Filing shareholder consent forms

Once you've added a shareholder's details to the Companies Register, we email you a consent form in that person's name. This form must be signed by the shareholder and returned to us within 20 working days.

Preparing shareholder's consents

If you prefer to prepare consent forms ahead of time, download these blank forms.

Registering shareholders after you incorporate

After your company is incorporated, you may decide to issue further shares. When you notify us of a new share issue, you must also register any new shareholders.

Depending on the type of shareholder, you must provide:

• for individuals — a full legal name and residential address.
• for registered NZ companies — a full company name and incorporation or registration number.
• for trustees — a full legal name and residential address for each trustee jointly holding shares.
• for other entities — a full legal name and street address.

Who can register a shareholder after incorporation

To register a shareholder after your company is incorporated you must have:

• a RealMe® login
• an online services account with the Companies Register
• authority to act for your company.

1. Add the shareholder's details

To register a new shareholder, log in to your online services account, enter the company name, company number or New Zealand Business Number (NZBN) and follow these steps.

1. On the Company summary screen, select the Shareholdings tab.
2. Select Update details and check the box on the Continue on the Acknowledgement screen.
3. Select Add new shareholder.
4. Select the type of shareholder — you have the option to:
   • select an available director who is becoming a shareholder, or
   • add a new person, NZ registered company or other entity.
5. Enter the details of the person or entity.
6. Select Continue.

2. Allocate shares to the shareholder

You must now add the shareholder to a share allocation, and record how many shares they hold in that allocation.

1. Select the Share allocations tab.
2. Select the share allocation to which the shareholder is to be added.
3. Select the shareholder's name from the drop-down menu.
4. In the Number of shares field, enter the number of shares allocated to the shareholder.
5. Increase or decrease the number of shares allocated to other shareholders to ensure the total allocated matches the total number of shares available.

Keeping shareholders' details up to date

You must keep details of your shareholdings up to date on your own company share register, and notify us of changes when you file your company annual return.

You can also update your shareholder information on the Companies Register at any time.

Other guides in

Shares and shareholders

• What it means to be a shareholder
• Filing director and shareholder consent forms
• Issuing shares in a company
• Managing share allocations
• Updating a shareholder's details
• Distributions to shareholders

Other help topics