Forms for incorporated societies

Forms for incorporated societies

New legislation for incorporated societies

Between 5 October 2023 and 5 April 2026 there are 2 Acts in force.

If your society —

  • registered for the first time on or after 5 October 2023, the Incorporated Societies Act 2022 (2022 Act) applies.
  • registered before 5 October 2023 and has reregistered since then, the 2022 Act applies.
  • registered before 5 October 2023 and has not yet reregistered, the Incorporated Societies Act 1908 (1908 Act) applies.

Use our online services to register or reregister your incorporated society and to submit other updates such as filing annual financial statements and annual returns, and keeping your society's details up to date.

There are, however, some forms that can only be completed manually and you'll find those here.

Updating names to include macrons

Use this form if you're a society that would like to update your existing incorporation tiwihikete (certificate) to include macrons in your registered name.

Download form — Request to update certification of incorporation with macron on the registered name PDF, 134 KB opens in a new window

Registering a constitution amendment

2022 Act societies only

When registering a constitution amendment online you need to upload a certificate signed by an officer that provides a brief description of the nature of the amendment and certifies that —

  • they are authorised by the society to complete the certificate, and
  • the amendment was made in line with either section 30 or section 31 of the 2022 Act, and
  • the constitution as amended, continues to comply with the requirements of the 2022 Act.

Download form IS22-CCA — Certificate – Amendment to a society’s constitution PDF, 90 KB opens in a new window

Society amalgamations

2022 Act societies only

2 or more societies may amalgamate as one society but only if each society is registered under the Incorporated Societies Act 2022 (2022 Act). You need register a proposed amalgamation with the Registrar of Incorporated Societies by completing a manual form and delivering it to us before the date of the proposed amalgamation.

Updated 5 October 2023

All help topics

Getting started on the register 7 guides

Find out about incorporated societies and the Incorporated Societies Register, and what's needed to register and maintain an incorporated society in New Zealand.

Searching the Incorporated Societies Register 2 guides

Find out how to search our registers for information about incorporated societies, and other entities

Starting an incorporated society 5 guides

To incorporate a society in New Zealand you must submit an application, along with the required documents, and pay a registration fee.

Reregistering under the 2022 Act 6 guides

To remain on the register, existing societies will need to reregister under the Incorporated Societies Act 2022 before April 2026

Running your incorporated society 7 guides

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.

Meeting your annual filing requirements 3 guides

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.

Keeping society details up to date 8 guides

Once you've registered your incorporated society, you'll need to file annual financial statements and update other society details when they change.

Ending an incorporated society 2 guides

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 – by dissolving the society (1908 Act), removing the society from the register (2022 Act) or placing it in liquidation.

Restoring an incorporated society to the register 2 guides

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.

Forms and fees 3 guides

The forms you might need to update a society's details, along with the fees that apply and ways you can pay.

Managing your online account 7 guides

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.