What to look for
Status
Each company's page shows its Company Status. Registered means it's on the register. The NZBN register also lets you filter by Voluntary Administration, In Receivership, In Liquidation and Removed/Closed. A company in receivership or liquidation, or removed, is a warning sign before you do more work for it or extend it credit.
Companies Register company page; NZBN register search filters (both read checked 1 Nov 2026).Directors
The company's page lists its directors. Check you're dealing with someone who is actually behind the company, and whether the same names appear on companies that have failed.
Companies Register company page, "Directors" (checked 1 Nov 2026).Filing history
The page shows when its annual return was last filed, and a "Documents" list of everything it has filed. A company that has stopped filing, or a recent run of changes, is worth asking about.
Companies Register company page, "AR filing month … last filed on" and "Documents" (checked 1 Nov 2026).The register shows what has been filed with it. It doesn't tell you whether a company will pay. Information, not legal advice.
Official registers (checked 1 Nov 2026)
- Companies Register search: app.companiesoffice.govt.nz (New Zealand Companies Office, Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment).
- NZBN register search: nzbn.govt.nz.
Already owed money?
Unpaid claim pack $295 (plus GST if applicable): a corrected claim, where the deadlines stand, and next steps from the Act.