Change is positive for Charitable Trust Boards

Approximately 20,000 charitable trust boards will need to complete an Acknowledgement of Registration (AoR) from April 2027 following changes made through the Regulatory Systems (Economic Development) Amendment Act 2025.

Companies Office National Manager, Bolen Ng, says the new requirement has been introduced to help maintain an accurate and reliable register while remaining straightforward for trust boards to complete.

"For most trust boards, it's simply a matter of reviewing their details, updating anything that has changed, and confirming the information is correct," says Mr Ng. "It's a simple process that helps to ensure trust boards can be contacted when needed and provides confidence that the information held on the register can be relied upon."

The requirement was introduced through the Regulatory Systems (Economic Development) Amendment Act 2025 and will come into effect from April 2027. From that time, trust boards will be assigned a filing month and will receive reminders before and during that period. There is no fee to complete the annual acknowledgement.

Mr Ng says trust boards should start preparing for the change.

"The best thing trust boards can do right now is make sure their contact details are up to date. That will help to make sure they receive reminders, important updates and guidance about the new requirement," he says.

Trust boards' email, postal and physical addresses should be current and regularly monitored as these contact details are used for official correspondence. They are not published on the public register.

The annual AoR will also help identify trust boards that are no longer operating, ensuring the Charitable Trusts Register remains a reliable source of information for trustees, organisations, funders, government agencies and the public.

Trust boards that do not complete their annual AoR may be removed from the register. However, Mr Ng says the Companies Office is focused on helping trusts comply.

"Our aim is to make this as easy as possible. We'll be providing reminders, guidance and support throughout the process so trust boards can complete their AoR easily and confidently," he says.

The new annual Acknowledgement of Registration requirement comes into effect from April 2027.

Charitable trust boards registered with Charities Services under the Charities Act 2005 are exempt from the AoR requirement and will continue to meet their existing reporting obligations through Charities Services.

Charitable trust boards can update their details at:

Changing your trust board's address(external link) — New Zealand Companies Office