Since Orchestra launched we have maintained a close working relationship with the New Zealand Companies Office (NZCO) to streamline share register updates for companies.
Company information flows between Orchestra and the New Zealand Companies Office via an API (application programming interface), so director and share register changes made by company administrators in Orchestra will flow through to update the NZ Companies Office.
Note: for Australian companies that have authorised Orchestra Pty Ltd to be your ASIC agent, then we can update any director and company secretary details at ASIC for you. Please contact us on companies@orchestra.io when you have officeholder changes that need updating at ASIC.
Updating company director details using the API
The name, address and appointment status of all company directors must be kept up to date on the NZ Companies Register. You can make all updates to NZ company director details on Orchestra and these will sync to the NZ Companies Office.
To access information on directors in Orchestra, login to Orchestra and go to the administrator dashboard for your company. On the left hand side panel, click 'Directors' or 'Officeholders'.
| New Zealand | Australia |
The current directors and their details will be shown, and you can make the following changes on this page:
Adding a director (& director's consent for New Zealand companies)
The registration of new directors can be managed in Orchestra, including the uploading and submission of the signed director's consent to the NZ Companies Office. Please note that you must register any new director within 20 working days of their appointment, and the new director only becomes current once the director consent has been approved by the NZ Companies Office.
The date of birth and place of birth is required by the NZ Companies Office, but they do not make this information publicly available. After clicking 'Continue' you can download the director's consent PDF required for New Zealand directors (Form 9 - Consent of a new director for an existing company). You can use document signing in Orchestra to get the form signed.
New Zealand Companies Office: Filing documents with electronic signatures
You can return later to upload your filled out, dated and signed director's consent form.
Updating a director's details
The name, address and appointment status of all company directors must be kept up to date within 20 working days of a change to these details occurring.
To update these details in Orchestra, click on the 'Edit' icon for the director:
You can only change a director's name if they have:
- married or divorced
- changed their full legal name by deed poll, or
- corrected their full legal name.
Please contact us if you need to change a director's name.
A change of address for a director must have already occurred before you update their details and the new address must be a physical residential address, not a Private Bag, PO Box or DX service.
Resigning (ceasing, removing, deleting) a director
You can resign a director by clicking on the 'Cease' (bin) button against the director's details. The resignation will be at today's date and will update at the NZ Companies Office immediately.
If you would like to select a resignation date then you can 'Edit' the director. Add a date to the 'Resignation date' field and click the 'Update' button to save. The director is ceased immediately and they are removed from the list of directors in Orchestra.
If your company has only one director, a new director who meets the 'live in New Zealand' requirement must be appointed before the current director can be removed.
If a director dies, is removed or resigns from the role, you must update the details within 20 working days of the event taking place, and the change must have already occurred before you update the register.