Setup · Limited company · NZ
Form a NZ limited company in 24 hours.
TL;DR
The Companies Office charges $136.55 incl. GST to incorporate a company. We charge $50 on top to handle the paperwork — name reservation, director details, IRD number, and filing. Total $186.55. Certificate of incorporation arrives within 1 business day. You can also DIY at companiesoffice.govt.nz — guide below.
Should you incorporate, or stay sole trader?
For 80% of people starting a service business in NZ, sole trader is the right starting point. It's free, takes 10 minutes, and the tax is simpler. Move to a limited company when one of these is clearly true:
- You're comfortably above the $60k GST threshold and the marginal tax savings of a 28% company rate (vs 33–39% personal) start to bite
- You have personal assets to protect— a house, savings — that you don't want exposed to business liability if something goes wrong
- You're bringing on a partner or investor — equity is much cleaner with a company structure
- You're bidding on commercial contracts that explicitly require a limited company supplier
For most lawn mowing, cleaning, handyman, detailing operators under year 2 — sole trader. See the sole trader guide instead.
The full DIY route — companiesoffice.govt.nz
You'll need:
- A RealMe login (you probably already have one from myIR or Inland Revenue interactions)
- A Companies Office account linked to your RealMe
- Full legal names, dates of birth, residential addresses and IRD numbers for every director and shareholder
- A company namethat's available — search the register first
- $ $136.55 for the incorporation fee
The form walks you through each section. Total time, if you have all the details ready: 30–45 minutes.
What we do for you (the $50 part)
If you'd rather not deal with the form:
- We check the name is available and propose 2–3 alternates if it's not
- Reserve the name (the $11.50 reservation fee is included in our $50)
- Collect director and shareholder details via a single short form
- File the incorporation paperwork on your behalf
- Apply for the company IRD number once the certificate is issued
- Send you everything in one email: certificate of incorporation, IRD letter, the share certificate, and a one-pager on what to do at year-end
Important note about how we charge: the $136.55 Companies Office fee is paid directlyto the Companies Office (we'll send you a deep-link to pay it once we've filed). Our $50 service fee is invoiced to you separately. We don't hold customer money — keeps things simple and compliant.
Status note: Self Made operates as a Companies Office filer under our Involve Digital agency credentials. We're also applying for direct API integration with the Companies Office — if/when that's approved, the experience will be near-instant rather than 24 hours, with no change to the price.
Common questions
How much does it cost to register a limited company in NZ?
$136.55 incl. GST paid to the Companies Office for the incorporation itself. If we file it for you, there's a $50 service fee on top — total $186.55. You don't pay any service fee if you DIY at companiesoffice.govt.nz, but most people find the form intimidating.
Sole trader vs limited company — which should I pick?
Most service operators start as a sole trader because it's free, instant and tax-simple. Move to a limited company when you're confidently above the $60k GST threshold, want to ringfence personal assets from business risk, or you're bringing on partners/investors. You can incorporate later — many operators start sole trader and incorporate at year 2.
How long does incorporation take?
If we file for you, 24 hours from when you've signed off the documents. Companies Office usually processes within 1 business day once filed. The certificate of incorporation arrives by email and the company is legally trading from that date.
Do I need a NZ resident director?
Yes. Every NZ limited company needs at least one director who lives in New Zealand (or in Australia and is a director of an Australian company). For most people starting solo this is a non-issue — you're the director.
What about the IRD number?
Once incorporated, you apply for the company's IRD number separately (it's a free 5-minute form). We include this in the service fee — you don't have to chase it.