Records you should keep
Information you need to store and refer to
To comply with the Incorporated Societies Act 2022 (2022 Act) there are records that your society must keep. You can keep any of these records in English or in te reo Māori.
Normally physical records are kept at the society’s registered office. Your society may decide to also keep electronic copies.
In this guide
Register of members
The register of its members lists details for current and former members. You need to update these details as soon as your society becomes aware of a change.
You need to record:
- The name of each member – both current and former members
- The last known contact details of each current member
- The date they became a member
(if there is no record of the date they joined, you can state ‘Unknown’). - For former members within the last 7 years, the date that they ceased to be a member.
Take care when collecting and storing personal information. Ensure you are only collecting the information you need and that you are storing it securely.
Member consents
You will not need to provide us with copies of members' consents when you are registering for the first time or updating the register, but you should hold copies with your register of members.
Interests register
Your officers have a duty to disclose interests to the committee. They must make this disclosure as soon as they become aware they have an interest in any matter being considered by the committee.
The committee must keep and maintain a register of these disclosures in an interests register.
Accounting records
The society’s accounting records:
- must correctly record the transactions of the society
- allow the society to produce financial statements, and
- would enable the financial statements to be readily and properly audited (if required).
You must keep the accounting records for the current accounting period and for the last 7 completed periods.
Related information
Annual General Meeting (AGM) minutes
Your society must ensure that minutes of each AGM are kept as part of its records. It is an offence for a society to fail to keep AGM minutes as part of its records.
Your members may make a written request to your society for the minutes of the most recent general meeting. This could be for a special general meeting as well as for an AGM. If your society receives such a request, it must provide this information within a reasonable period of time.
In addition to these requirements for AGM minutes, your society’s constitution must also set out when minutes of other general meetings are required to be kept.
Constitution
Keep copies of the current constitution document and any amendments that have been made.
You must upload copies to the register, but you should also store the original documents in your own records.
Copies of officer consents
Every officer that is appointed or elected must consent in writing to being an officer and meet eligibility criteria set out in the 2022 Act.
- You will need to confirm that you have obtained each officer’s consent and certification that they are eligible to hold their office.
- You will not need to provide us with copies of the consents when you are registering for the first time, reregistering or updating the register.
Consent template
This template can help you collect an officer’s consent and certification. It also collects the information you will need to add your officers to the register.
Other guides in
Running your incorporated society
- Your responsibilities as an incorporated society
- Your society's constitution
- Restrictions on money-making activities
- Dispute resolution procedures are mandatory
- Committees and officers
- Being a member
- Holding meetings
- Entering into contracts