Records you should keep

A register of members

The Incorporated Societies Act 1908 requires that every society keep a register of its members. For each member the register should record:

• their name
• their address
• the date they became a member.

The Registrar may ask you to provide a list of all your members, and for that list to be verified by an officer.

Take care when collecting and storing personal information. Ensure you are only collecting the information you need and that you’re storing it securely. Visit the Privacy Commissioner’s website for information about your responsibilities under the Privacy Act 2020.

Financial records

There are a number of documents and records you’ll need in order to complete your annual financial statements. These may include:

• a numbered receipt book and duplicate copy
• a bank deposit book
• used cheque books
• all bank statements
• all invoice and payment authorisations
• a receipts and payments journal
• a petty cash payments book.

To comply with the 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.

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.

Register of members

The register of its members lists details for current and former members. You need to update them as soon as practical your society becomes aware of a change. You won’t need to provide us with copies of members' consents when you’re registering for the first time or updating the register, but you should hold copies with your register of members.

• The name of each member – both current and former members
• The last known contact details of each current member
• The date on which a person became a member (if there is no record of the date they joined, societies can state ‘Unknown’).
• For former members, the date that they ceased to be a member within the last 7 years.

Take care when collecting and storing personal information. Ensure you are only collecting the information you need and that you’re storing it securely. Visit the Privacy Commissioner’s website for information about your responsibilities under the Privacy Act 2020.

Interests register

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 accounting periods.

Related information

The new financial reporting requirements

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 won’t need to provide us with copies of the consents when you’re registering for the first time or updating the register, but you will need to confirm that you’ve obtained each officer’s consent and certification that they’re eligible to hold their office.

We have prepared a template that your society may choose to use to collect your officers’ consents. This template includes all the information that you will need to provide when you add an officer to the register.

Learn more about committees and officers