Confirming your authority to update the register
You must be authorised to manage a charitable trust board's information on the register
Before you can update details or register documents for a trust board using our online services, you need to confirm that you have the authority to do so.
This security measure protects the information we hold on the register for your trust board.
In this guide
There are 2 types of authority.
- Individual authority — This usually applies to a trustee who will update the register for their trust board.
- Organisation authority — This commonly applies to business professionals (such as accountants or lawyers) who will update the register as an authorised agent.
We may have automatically confirmed your authority
If you register a new charitable trust board using your online account, your authority is confirmed automatically for that trust board.
How to check if you already have authority
When you log into the register your trust board will appear in your list of ‘Authorities’. If your charitable trust board is not listed, you will need to confirm your authority with us.
Log in to the Charitable Trusts Register External linkHow to confirm your authority with us
- Complete a letter of authorisation (template below), and
- Upload it online.
1. Completing a letter of authorisation
The letter of authorisation should confirm the following:
- the name and NZBN of the charitable trust board
- your name and contact details
- that you have authority to act on behalf of the trust board.
The following letter template sets out the information you must provide.
2. Uploading the letter using our online filing service
File formats for uploading documents
Any documents you upload must be:
- clear and easily read
- saved in PDF format, and
- no larger than 20MB.
Follow these steps
- Log in.
- Select Charitable Trust Boards from the main menu.
- Search for your trust board.
- Select ‘Create Filing Service’.
- Choose ‘Confirm your Authority’ (for the type of service).
- Upload your completed letter of authorisation.
- Submit your change.
3. We will need to review your request
It may take us up to 3 business days to process your request and additional evidence may be required.
Confirm your authority with us External linkCancelling your authority (individual authorities only)
If you no longer need access to manage a charitable trust board’s information you can cancel your authority.
- Log in.
- Select ‘Authorities’ from the main menu.
- Select the charitable trust board.
- Go to the Authorities section at the bottom of the page.
- Select the drop-down arrow next to your name and choose ‘Revoke’
- Enter the reason you want to revoke your authority and submit the change.
Once you have submitted this update, you will be immediately removed from the list of authorised users and will no longer have access to update the trust board's information on the register.
We recommend that each trust board always has at least one person with confirmed authority. If you are cancelling your authority, let the trust board know so it can arrange for someone else to be authorised.
Manage authorities External linkHow authority works for organisation accounts
Once your organisation has confirmed their authority to update a trust board's details on the register, every authorised user added to the organisation's account is automatically granted the same authority.
When you remove a user from your organisation account, they will no longer have authority to act on behalf of the trust board through your organisation.
Other guides in
Getting started on the register
- About charitable trusts
- How the Incorporated Societies Act 2022 affects charitable trust boards
- Your responsibilities as a charitable trust board
- How to use our services
- Uploading documents to the Charitable Trusts Register
- Setting up your online account
- The role of Charities Services