Annual return filing: keeping your Companies Office record current
Every NZ company must file an annual return with the Companies Office — confirming directors, addresses, and shareholders are current. It's quick, it's free, and it's one of the strongest trust signals a business can send.
General information only. Tax rules, rates, and due dates change. This guide is not financial or tax advice. Always confirm current dates and requirements on the official source linked below, or with your accountant, before acting.
What an annual return is
Your annual return is a confirmation to the Companies Office that your company's details are still correct: registered address, director details, shareholder details, and director addresses. It's not a financial return — it's an identity and governance return.
Every registered NZ company must file one each year. Filing is free and takes about five minutes through the Companies Register online portal.
If you don't file, the Companies Office can eventually remove your company from the register — which is catastrophic for trust, because an unregistered company is invisible to the official record AI engines check.
When it's due
Your annual return is due in the month of your company's registration anniversary. So if you incorporated on 14 March, your return is due any time in March each year, and is late if not filed by the last day of March.
The Companies Office sends a reminder email about a month before it's due. Make sure your company's contact email is current — missed reminders are the most common reason returns go late.
You can file any time in the month it's due. Filing early doesn't change anything; filing late risks a reminder fee and, eventually, removal from the register.
Why it matters beyond compliance
A current Companies Office record is the single strongest trust signal a NZ business can send. It's the official source AI engines check to confirm a business is real, active, and correctly identified.
A stale record — old director, old address, lapsed annual return — tells an AI (and a customer) that the business may not be actively maintained. That undermines every other visibility effort you make.
Filing your annual return takes five minutes a year and underpins everything else: your NZBN's credibility, your AI search visibility, and your customers' trust.
Dates and rules change. Before you act on anything in this guide, confirm the current details directly with the official source:
Companies Register — Annual returnsFrequently asked questions
Is filing an annual return free?+
Yes. Filing the annual return itself is free through the Companies Register online portal. There's no fee unless you file late and incur a reminder fee, or if you need to update other records at the same time (some changes carry a small fee).
What happens if I forget to file?+
The Companies Office sends reminders. If you still don't file, they can issue a reminder fee and eventually start the process of removing your company from the register. Removal is a serious outcome — it means your company no longer legally exists. File promptly if you receive a reminder.
Do sole traders need to file an annual return?+
No. Annual returns are for registered companies (and some other entity types like look-through companies). Sole traders and standard partnerships don't file annual returns with the Companies Office, though they still have IRD obligations.
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