Reregistering as an incorporated society

How to apply and what you’ll need to provide

By the time you’re ready to apply to reregister as an incorporated society there are several things you need to have already done.

Learn about what you need to do to get ready for reregistering

To reregister as an incorporated society, you must complete an online application but there are no fees to pay. You will need to provide certain information about your organisation along with a copy of your proposed constitution. We’ll review your application, and we aim let you know the outcome within 3 working days.

On this page:

The information you’ll need to confirm or provide

When you apply for reregistration, you’ll need to reconfirm or provide the following information about your organisation.

Your society’s name

Your organisation will need to update its name. To be registered as an incorporated society your name must end with one or more of the following words — ‘Manatōpū’, ‘Incorporated’ or ‘Inc’.

You can choose to continue using your current registered name — simply add one or more of the mandatory last words to the end.

If you decide to completely change your name, please note that your society’s proposed name needs to be unique. It can’t be the same as the name of another incorporated society or entity (for example, a charitable trust board). It can only be almost identical to another society or entity name if that organisation gives its written consent. If you have written consent to use your name, upload a copy of that consent when you apply.

Confirm you have the minimum number of members

You’ll need to confirm you have the minimum number of members required to reregister as an incorporated society under the 2022 Act.

Your society must have at least 10 members and your membership can include individuals and body corporates (for example, charitable trust boards, companies, or other incorporated societies). When you’re counting your membership numbers, a body corporate counts as 3 individual members.

Upload a copy of the society's proposed constitution

You’ll need to upload a copy of the constitution your organisation has prepared. The constitution must comply with the 2022 Act. It must also have been approved by your members at a general meeting.

Your balance date

You’ll need to advise us of your society’s balance date. This date should have been decided as part of drafting your society’s constitution.

The ‘balance date’ is the last day of your financial year and it also plays an important role in determining other deadlines for your society. In particular, within 6 months of each balance date your society must —

  • prepare its annual financial statements, and
  • hold its Annual General Meeting (AGM), and
  • present its financial statements at the AGM, and
  • file an annual return with us, along with its annual financial statements.

Your society’s contact details

Registered office address

We will display the current registered office address that we have recorded in the register, but you can update this if needed. Under the 2022 Act you must notify us at least 5 working days before a change of address for the registered office is due to take effect. This means you will need to choose a date at least 5 working days after your reregistration application date.

The registered office address is the official address for your society and will be displayed on the register. It’s where your society’s records, including your register of members, are kept. It’s also an address that anyone can use to contact your society and deliver any legal documents, such as court documents.

It must be a full physical address — you can’t use a Post Office box, Private Bag or DX address as the registered office.

Address for communications – physical or postal

We will display the current address for communications that we have recorded in the register, but you can update this if needed.

We’ll use this address if we need to send letters to your society so it should be an address that’s actively monitored by someone in your society. The address for communications can be either a physical address or a postal address.

Email address for communications

We will display the current email address for communications that we have recorded in the register, but you can update this if needed.

This email address won’t be visible on the public register, but it will be used by us as our main point of contact with your society. We’ll use this email address to send reminders to file your society’s annual financial statements and annual return so choose an address that’s regularly checked by someone in your society and make sure it’s kept up to date.

Phone number

You have the option to provide us with a contact phone number for your society — a landline or a mobile phone number. The number will not be visible on the public register, it will only be used by us as another point of contact.

Details of at least one contact person

Your society must have at least one contact person and no more than 3. To be a contact person they don’t need to be an officer of your society, but it should be someone who can handle enquiries from us, so it’s important to keep their details up to date.

For each contact person you’ll need to provide their name, a physical or postal address and an email address. The contact person’s address details need to be different than the society addresses for communication provided above.

Details of committee members and other officers

You must record the names and contact details for each of your society’s officers and advise which officers are members of your society. You’ll also need to certify that they have —

  • consented in writing to being an officer, and
  • certified that they are not disqualified from being an officer.

Most of the information you need to provide about your officers is kept private. This means it can only be seen by the Registrar or people who have authority to update your society’s information on the register.

The only details that the public will see are your officer’s names and their appointment dates.

Your society must have at least 3 people on its committee and each person on the committee is an officer of your society. Other people can also be appointed as officers even if they’re not part of the elected committee. This includes anyone who holds a position which allows them to exercise significant influence over the management or administration of the society. Learn more about committees and officers

Who can see the information you provide

Most of the details you provide in your application for reregistration will be made publicly available on the Incorporated Societies Register. Anyone searching for your society on the register will be able to see these details.

Some specific information will be kept private, such as contact person details and officer addresses. This means it can only be seen by the Registrar or people who have authority to update your society’s information on the register.

How to complete your application

You will complete and submit your application online.

Before you can apply online, you must have:

  • a RealMe login
  • an online services account for the Charitable Trusts Register
  • authority to manage information on behalf of your charitable trust board.

RealMe logins and setting up your online services account 

Confirming your authority to manage information

Step by step

  1. Log in to your online services account.
  2. On the dashboard, select the charitable trust board you wish to update from 'My Businesses'.
  3. Open the ‘Maintain Charitable Trust Board’ menu and choose ‘Reregister as Incorporated Society Under 2022 Act’.

Complete your application, one section (or tab) at a time.

General details

  • We’ll display the current name of the trust board. You must enter the proposed name for your incorporated society (this must end with one or more of the following words — ‘Manatōpū’, ‘Incorporated’ or ‘Inc’).
  • Upload your society’s constitution, as well as any other supporting documents you wish to submit.
  • Advise your society’s balance date.
  • Complete the signatory details section.
The signatory needs to certify the application

The person who completes the application must be able to certify that, at the time of the application —

  1. The number of members is at least 10 for the purposes of section 8(1) of the Incorporated Societies Act 2022, and
  2. The constitution you have uploaded complies with the requirements of section 26 of the Act.

Addresses

We’ll display the addresses and phone numbers that are recorded on the register for your organisation. You’ll need to provide the details of each contact person. You’ll also need to check, and if necessary, update the:

  • registered office address
  • address for communication and
  • contact phone numbers.
Note about updating your registered office address

Under the 2022 Act you must notify us at least 5 working days before a change of address for the registered office is due to take effect. You will need to choose a start date that’s at least 5 working days after your reregistration application date.

Officers

Under the 2022 Act each officer’s details must be recorded on the register. Every society must have at least 3 officers and most of the officers must also be members.

  • Add details for each officer – their name, physical address, email address and start date.
    • Confirm whether they are a member.
    • You can also choose to include an officer’s role if they have one. For example, chairperson.

Review

Check that the information you’ve provided in the application is correct.

Submit your application

Submit your completed application (it’s free to apply).

Apply to reregister as a society

What happens next

We will check your application

We aim to review your application within 3 working days from the date you submitted it to us. If it’s in order, we will update the Incorporated Societies Register to reflect that your society has reregistered under the 2022 Act and issue an updated Certificate of Incorporation.

If we have any questions about your application, we’ll get in touch with the person who completed the application and let you know what we need.

You'll receive an updated Certificate of Incorporation

We’ll email an updated Certificate of Incorporation to the person who completed the application and to your organisation’s email address for communication.

Operating after reregistration

Once your organisation is reregistered, it must comply with the Incorporated Societies Act 2022. The constitution you uploaded when you applied for reregistration governs the way your society will operate. Your society’s new constitution takes effect on the day we accept your reregistration application.

Your society will need to keep certain details up to date on the register, so be sure to check what’s needed any time you need to change things such as your society’s addresses, officers’ details, contact person’s details or your society’s constitution. Your committee will also need to file your society’s financial statements and annual return every year to remain on the register. We have guides in the Help Centre on our Incorporated Societies Register website to help you meet all your ongoing obligations to the Registrar.

All help topics

Searching the Charitable Trusts Register 2 guides

Searching the register for information about charitable trust boards and their status.

Starting a charitable trust board 5 guides

To incorporate a charitable trust board you must submit an application, along with the required documents. There is no registration fee.

Keeping charitable trust board details up to date 7 guides

Ending a charitable trust board 2 guides

There are two ways to end a charitable trust board. If the board is no longer operating, it can apply to be dissolved. If it is unable to pay its debts, it can be placed in liquidation.

Restoring a charitable trust board to the register 1 guide

A trust board that has been removed from the Charitable Trusts Register can apply to us to be restored.

Forms 1 guide

Find the forms you'll need to register your charitable trust board or keep its details up to date. Please note: there are no fees for registering or maintaining a charitable trust board.