Wellington City Missions Dental Service
The Incorporated Societies Act Changes:
Re-register or risk closure – What your society needs to do now
By 5 April 2026, all existing incorporated societies who wish to continue to have incorporated status must apply to re-register under the 2022 Act. To register or re-register under the 2022 Act, a society’s constitution must comply with the requirements of the 2022 Act.
Useful Links
How to re-register or end your Incorporated Society
https://community.net.nz/resources/nz-navigator-trust/how-to-re-register-or-end-your-incorporated-society
Parry Field Lawyers - Updated guide released October 2025. Key things to know when re-registering under the new Incorporated Societies Act 2022.
https://www.parryfield.com/home/publications/#publications-incsoc_char
NZ Companies Office - Reregistering under the 2022 Act
https://is-register.companiesoffice.govt.nz/help-centre/reregistering/
Useful Links
How to re-register or end your Incorporated Society
https://community.net.nz/resources/nz-navigator-trust/how-to-re-register-or-end-your-incorporated-society
Parry Field Lawyers - Updated guide released October 2025. Key things to know when re-registering under the new Incorporated Societies Act 2022.
https://www.parryfield.com/home/publications/#publications-incsoc_char
NZ Companies Office - Reregistering under the 2022 Act
https://is-register.companiesoffice.govt.nz/help-centre/reregistering/
Important Changes for Incorporated Societies
Community Law Wellington and Hutt Valley has highlighted some of the key changes between the 1908 Act and the 2022 Act
which you can download as a pdf below.
Community Law Wellington and Hutt Valley has highlighted some of the key changes between the 1908 Act and the 2022 Act
which you can download as a pdf below.
If you decide NOT to re register, but still wish to continue operating
If you decide not to reregister your society but want to keep operating, you will need to apply for a new IRD number. This is because when a society is deregistered, it loses its legal status as an incorporated body and will be treated as a new entity for tax purposes.
If your society is registered for GST or as an employer, you’ll need to ask us to transfer the registrations. You’ll also need to reapply for any income tax exemption or deduction as a not-for-profit organisation.
Find out more here: https://www.ird.govt.nz/updates/news-folder/2025/changes-for-incorporated-societies
If you decide not to reregister your society but want to keep operating, you will need to apply for a new IRD number. This is because when a society is deregistered, it loses its legal status as an incorporated body and will be treated as a new entity for tax purposes.
If your society is registered for GST or as an employer, you’ll need to ask us to transfer the registrations. You’ll also need to reapply for any income tax exemption or deduction as a not-for-profit organisation.
Find out more here: https://www.ird.govt.nz/updates/news-folder/2025/changes-for-incorporated-societies
MSD Presentation and discussion regarding the new approach to Social Sector Commissioning - February 2023
Tēnā koutou
Please find attached information on the Presentation and discussion regarding the new approach to Social Sector Commissioning. The topic of our network meeting last Wednesday.
Maria Laura and Keri spoke about the background and thinking behind the Social Sector Commissioning Action Plan, which is seeks to acknowledge:
They have come up with a relational approach which they hope will allow for an honest and open dialogue between funder and service provider to ensure that the people, families and whanau that benefit are kept central to the process. This approach has been accepted and an independent hub has been established to implement the roadmap.
Please see the useful handouts (attached) which gives the detail on the seven principles which guides this work and a summary of the 9 actions that provide the roadmap to a relational approach to commissioning.
The following were points that were raised by Community Network Wellington members:
A recording of the meeting is available at: Link to meeting video
Link to MSD’s Social Sector Commissioning Action Plan and reform - (here)
Tēnā koutou
Please find attached information on the Presentation and discussion regarding the new approach to Social Sector Commissioning. The topic of our network meeting last Wednesday.
Maria Laura and Keri spoke about the background and thinking behind the Social Sector Commissioning Action Plan, which is seeks to acknowledge:
- The inherent power imbalance between government department as funder and service provider and beneficiary of services;
- That a share approach across government is beneficial for all;
- That a contract should have trust at the heart of it, and that a compliance framework needs to reasonable, and hopefully standardised across government to make it easier for service providers to provide necessary information without undue bureaucracy and administration;
They have come up with a relational approach which they hope will allow for an honest and open dialogue between funder and service provider to ensure that the people, families and whanau that benefit are kept central to the process. This approach has been accepted and an independent hub has been established to implement the roadmap.
Please see the useful handouts (attached) which gives the detail on the seven principles which guides this work and a summary of the 9 actions that provide the roadmap to a relational approach to commissioning.
The following were points that were raised by Community Network Wellington members:
- That it is very difficult for small organisations to access commissioned contracts due to the compliance workload, so become dependant on grant giving which is usually short term. Asked that any action plan consider ways to support organisations to access funding for the vital work they are doing towards government priorities.
- Concern that only a select number of organisations, usually those who already have a good relationship and the resources to be involved, eg the bigger agencies, have so far been guiding this process.
- What is being done to build trust with communities, in particular Maori, who have experience of contracts not being honoured? There is an acknowledgement of this within the roadmap.
- That the nature of a relationship is open to interpretation and any process needs to manage the expectations on both sides of what this relationship will look like. Is there a role of the community to be involved in the commissioning process, along the lines of COGS (Community Organisation Grants Scheme)
- Will local government also be included, and encouraged to use this shared relational approach? Currently Wellington City Council has not engaged with this.
- A caution that the sector is not homogenous and there will be a need for flexibility within the approach.
- There was a question of whether the cross government relational approach has cross party buy in. This is not a question that can be answered by civil servants, however hope was expressed.
A recording of the meeting is available at: Link to meeting video
Link to MSD’s Social Sector Commissioning Action Plan and reform - (here)
AGM Meeting November 2021
Dr Micheal Baker spoke to us about: “The Covid-19 pandemic and response: What it means for life and work in NZ in the months ahead”
Michael has kindly given us the slides from her presentation and you can view them below
Dr Micheal Baker spoke to us about: “The Covid-19 pandemic and response: What it means for life and work in NZ in the months ahead”
Michael has kindly given us the slides from her presentation and you can view them below
July Network Meeting 2021
At our July network meeting last week, Sue Barker gave us an insightful talk around her work on the Charities Law Reform. Sue Barker is honoured to be the recipient of the 2019 New Zealand Law Foundation International Research Fellowship Te Karahipi Rangahau ā Taiao, undertaking research into the question “What does a world-leading framework of charities law look like?”, with a report due by November 2021.
Sue has kindly given us the slides from her presentation and you can view them below
At our July network meeting last week, Sue Barker gave us an insightful talk around her work on the Charities Law Reform. Sue Barker is honoured to be the recipient of the 2019 New Zealand Law Foundation International Research Fellowship Te Karahipi Rangahau ā Taiao, undertaking research into the question “What does a world-leading framework of charities law look like?”, with a report due by November 2021.
Sue has kindly given us the slides from her presentation and you can view them below
We have also included a copy of their papers responding to the 3 most recent policy papers issued by DIA in case they might be of interest. (See Below)
The link to the charities law reform website can be found here: https://www.charitieslawreform.nz/
The link to the charities law reform website can be found here: https://www.charitieslawreform.nz/