This How-to Guide will be revised to remove duplication, when time allows.
Meanwhile, it contains information and links for people wanting to set up an incorporated society, charitable trust, Māori organisation or other legal entity. Choose the right structure for your community or voluntary organisation, whether it is a club, society, service organisation charity, trust or interest group. The guide includes: sample constitutions, links to relevant IRD and Companies Office documents, and checklists.
A good place to start is Choosing a structure. You'll find more details about each legal structure in Publications / Resources.
Read some Case Studies or browse the Community Groups Links to see what similar organisations have chosen, then download a sample constitution from the Templates section.
You'll also find more information in other Websites.
Please help make this How-to Guide even more useful. Email news, links or other information to information@community.net.nz.
Currently, we are looking for a new editor for this How To Guide, with the Departments' Digital Strategy Team looking after it in the meantime. If you have an interest in Governance and Management and would like to take on this role, please email us as above.
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An overview of advantages and disadvantages of becoming a legal entity and a comparison of the distinctions between the most common structures.
Date updated: 8 October 2008
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The following list of organisations and sources are available to assist with queries.
Date updated: 17 June 2008
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This page outlines the process for setting up an Incorporated Society as numbered steps. It is a text version of the flowchart 'Setting up an Incorporated Society' on the Incorporated Societies page.
Date updated: 12 November 2008
Full List
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Downloadable sample constitutions and registration forms.
Date updated: 8 October 2008
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From 1 July 2008 a charitable organisation needs to be registered by the Charities Commission to enjoy tax exemptions. The templates previously contained in this page are now out-of-date and have been removed to avoid confusion.
Date updated: 3 October 2008
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The Societies Office holds information about trusts and societies. This includes Constitutions and Trust Deeds, and it can be very helpful to read the deeds of existing organisations with a similar purpose to yours.
Date updated: 19 November 2005
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Register for charitable trusts, incorporated societies, companies and other legal entities that are incorporated. Here you'll find an Online search for organisations, forms for registering new organisations, and filed constitutions, annual accounts ...
Date added: 10 November 2002
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Tax information for incorporated societies, clubs, associations, charitable trusts.
Date added: 10 November 2002
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Designed for sports clubs, this section of the SPARC's Club Kit on getting a club started has useful resources for any organisation. It is designed to help figure out what a club can achieve and the ...
Date added: 4 October 2007
Full List