| Agency Name: | Companies Office |
| Jurisdiction: | New Zealand |
| Parent Agency: | Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment |
The New Zealand Companies Office (a service of the New Zealand Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment) is a government agency that provides business registry services in relation to corporate entities, personal property and capital market securities. It delivers nearly all its services through electronic systems and the internet.
Its registers relate to companies, personal property securities, superannuation funds, incorporated societies, building societies, charitable trusts, unit trusts, friendly societies and credit unions. The office also has compliance, prosecution and enforcement functions under the Companies Act, Securities Act, Corporations (Investigation and Management) Act 1989, Financial Reporting Act along with others.
The Companies Register's website includes an electronic register available to the public 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and provides the online searching, incorporation and maintenance services for New Zealand registered companies or other body corporates.
The Companies Office was the first government corporate registry in the world to allow access over the Internet to statutory corporate information. The site went live in 1996. In 1999 the Companies Office was the first in the world to allow the incorporation of companies over the Internet.[1]
The register is free which makes the office one of the most transparant in the world.
The Companies Office is also responsible for the administration of the following registers: