How societies amalgamate

What you need to do and how to apply

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.

This section applies to societies currently registered under the 2022 Act

2 or more societies may amalgamate as one society but only if each one is registered under the Incorporated Societies Act 2022 (2022 Act). The amalgamated society may continue as one of the amalgamating societies or as a new society. As part of the process, we remove the societies that aren't continuing from the Incorporated Societies Register.

The amalgamating societies need to prepare an amalgamation proposal that contains the information required by the Incorporated Societies Regulations 2023. They also need to prepare a constitution for the proposed amalgamated society that complies with the 2022 Act. You need to register the 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.

Related information

Requirements for constitutions

Incorporated Societies Regulations 2023 New Zealand Legislation website

Subpart 2, Incorporated Societies Act 2022 New Zealand Legislation website

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.