Reporting to the Companies Office
Information and documents you must provide to the Companies Office
After you start a company and incorporate it with the Companies Office, you must keep the information about your company up to date on the Companies Register.
In this guide
When you set up your company
When you incorporate your company, you will need to provide:
- Its name.
- Contact details.
- Details of the directors (including their consent to be a director).
- Information about the shares and shareholders.
- The constitution (if you have one).
Information and documents you must submit every year
The directors of a company are responsible for keeping information about the company up to date on the Companies Register.
Annual returns
All companies must complete an annual return every year on the Companies Register.
Annual returns confirm the details recorded for your company are correct. Completing your annual return is not the same as submitting a tax return. It is a legal requirement that confirms your company is still active.
When your return is due we will send reminders by email and text (if a mobile number is provided) to your company, its directors and anyone who has confirmed authority to update your company’s details on the register.
If you do not complete your annual return, the Registrar may remove your company from the register.
Keep your contact details up to date
To make sure you get reminders, keep your company’s contact details and your online account email address up to date.
Financial statements
Some companies (mainly large New Zealand and overseas companies) must submit audited financial statements or a group financial statements every year.
Information and documents that must be up to date
If there are changes to your company details at any time during the year, you need to notify us. You must tell us about many of these changes within a specific timeframe.
Your company addresses
Notify us if any of your company’s addresses change, including your:
- registered office address
- address for service (where legal documents can be sent)
- communication address (so we can stay in touch with you).
Directors' details
Notify us within 20 working days of any changes to a company directors' details, including their:
- name
- residential address
- date of appointment or resignation.
Shareholders' details
Notify us of:
- new shareholders
- shareholders that no longer own shares and have been removed from your company’s share register.
Changes to shares in your company or your share register
Notify us within 10 working days of:
- any changes to the total number of shares in your company
- if you are keeping your share register somewhere other than your registered office (this can only happen if your constitution allows you to divide your share register).
Your company constitution
Notify us within 10 working days if you:
- decide to add a company constitution,
- make a change to your existing constitution or
- decide to revoke it.
Other business activities you must tell us about
Some other actions your business decides to take must be reported to us.
Changing your company's name
If you change your company's name you first need to reserve a new company name. If your company has a constitution, you need to follow the procedures outlined in that to change its name.
Company amalgamations
Notify us if your company merges with, or takes over the assets and liabilities of another company or companies.
Registering a financial product or managed investment scheme
If you offer a financial product or a managed investment scheme, you need to register that on the Disclose Register.
Related pages
- Setting up your online account From Managing your online account
- Confirming your authority From Managing your online account
Other guides in
Complying with the law
- Keeping company records
- Company meetings
- Keeping company records
- Who needs to submit financial statements
- What it means to be a director
- Banned directors
- What it means to be a shareholder
- How we enforce the law
- Making a complaint