Starting a company
You need to comply with New Zealand laws when you incorporate your company with the Companies Office, including reserving a company name, appointing directors, issuing shares and registering for tax.
- Incorporating a company Find out what you need to do to incorporate a New Zealand company and the information you need to gather.
- Reserving a name for a new company Follow these steps to reserve a company name on the Companies Register before you go on to incorporating your company.
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Company addresses
You need to provide us with contact details for your company and keep them up to date.
- Tax registration Get an IRD number, register as an employer and register for GST when you incorporate a new company.
- Registering the appointment of a director The steps to registering the appointment of a company director.
- Registering a shareholder The steps to follow when registering company shareholders
- Filing director and shareholder consent forms How to manage your director and shareholder consent forms.
- Issuing shares in a company Find out how companies issue and record share details.
- Incorporating with a company constitution You can incorporate a company in New Zealand with or without a constitution.
- How overseas companies set up as a NZ business How to register a company that's incorporated in another country as a NZ business.
- Ultimate holding companies Tell us if your company has an ultimate holding company (UHC).
Other help topics
Before you start a company
Keeping company details up to date
Shares and shareholders
Company directors
Filing annual returns
Complying with the law
Financial reporting
Amalgamations
Managing an overseas company in New Zealand
Closing a company
Restoring a company to the register
When your company fails
Managing your online account
Getting support to use the Companies Register
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