From 1 May 2015, new compliance requirements for all companies registered in New Zealand will come into effect.  These new compliance requirements and associated key dates are set out below.

new zealand resident director

From 28 October 2015, every New Zealand registered company incorporated before 1 May 2015 must have at least one director who:

• lives in New Zealand, or
• lives in Australia and is a director of a company registered in Australia.

All New Zealand registered companies incorporated after 1 May 2015 must comply with the above from incorporation.

A New Zealand resident director does not need to be a New Zealand citizen. The key criteria is that he or she  resides in New Zealand.

additional disclosures

Every New Zealand registered company incorporated before 1 May 2015 must include the additional information set out below, in each annual return filed after 1 July 2015.

For each director

• date of birth (this information will not be made available to the public), and
• place of birth (this information will not made available to the public).

For any ultimate holding company*

• name of the ultimate holding company
• country of registration
• registration number or code (if any), and
• registered office.

All New Zealand registered companies incorporated after 1 May 2015 must provide the above information on incorporation.

If you wish to discuss the implications of any of the compliance requirements, please contact us.

* Broadly speaking, an ultimate holding company is any company that is a majority shareholder or otherwise controls the company, and is not itself controlled by another company.