If you manage a business located in New Zealand, you’ll generally be familiar with the Companies Office website. From July 1, 2008, it became mandatory to complete company administration online, which includes name reservations, company incorporations, annual returns and general company maintenance such as the appointment of directors.

In August the New Zealand Companies Office (www.companies.govt.nz) refreshed their website to;

“..reflect the ongoing commitment of the Companies Office to the provision of improved services and a lower cost of compliance..”

A major use of the website is research on New Zealand companies as many people include a Companies Register Search in their first step towards understanding the basic structure of a company in New Zealand.

Over time it is expected that the internet will become the predominant method for interacting with your government. Within New Zealand the e-government initiative is working towards this goal, acknowledging that people who have grown up in the online world have very different expectations of how they interact with governmental agencies.