All help topics
Find out about incorporated societies and the Incorporated Societies Register, and what's needed to register and maintain an incorporated society in New Zealand.
Find out how to search our registers for information about incorporated societies, and other entities
To incorporate a society in New Zealand you must submit an application, along with the required documents, and pay a registration fee.
To remain on the register, existing societies will need to reregister under the Incorporated Societies Act 2022 before April 2026
Once you’ve registered, you’ll need to keep your details on the register up to date, and follow the rules that apply to incorporated societies and how they are run.
Once you've registered your incorporated society, you'll need to file annual financial statements. Societies registered under the Incorporated Societies Act 2022 must also complete an annual return.
Once you've registered your incorporated society, you'll need to file annual financial statements and update other society details when they change.
- Confirming your authority to manage information
- Updating your society's contact details on the register
- Updating officer details on the register
- Changing your society's rules or constitution
- Changing your society's name
- Updating your AGM month or balance date on the register
- Requesting a correction to the register
- How societies amalgamate
When an incorporated society reaches the end of its 'life', it must be wound up and removed from the register. Here we outline the ways this can be done, and the steps involved.
An application can be made to us to have an incorporated society restored to the register, by the society itself, or by a creditor. You'll need to provide evidence to support your application.
The forms you might need to update a society's details, along with the fees that apply and ways you can pay.
To update society details on the Register of Incorporated Societies you need a Companies Office online services account. It's free to set up, but fees apply for some transactions.