{"id":218413,"date":"2022-11-07T18:49:59","date_gmt":"2022-11-07T05:49:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.nz\/?p=218413"},"modified":"2022-11-25T08:21:22","modified_gmt":"2022-11-24T19:21:22","slug":"sole-trader-to-company","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.nz\/business-structures\/sole-trader-to-company\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Change Your NZ Business Structure from Sole Trader to Company"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">As a business owner, there comes a time when you may need to change your business structure to ensure it aligns with your goals for growth. While a sole trader structure is relatively simple to set up and run, making it ideal for those starting a business, it has certain limitations. Alternatively, a company has several legal and tax advantages, making it optimal for scaling your business. This article explores the necessary legal steps to change your business structure from a sole trader to a company in New Zealand.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Sole Trader vs Company Structure<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Many businesses start as sole traders because it is the simplest and cheapest way to establish a business. Becoming a sole trader requires minimal legal formalities and no registration fees.\u00a0You also have full control of the business and its profits and can offset any losses against other income.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"box box--icon box--info\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A sole trader is an individual who carries on a business, whereas a company is its own legal entity separate from the individuals in the business.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">However, there are many reasons why you may want to change your business structure from a sole trader to a company structure, including that:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">companies have limited liability. This means that your personal assets are separate from the debts and liabilities incurred by the company. This minimises your personal risk because creditors cannot come after your personal assets in the event of a\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.nz\/disputes-and-litigation\/what-is-the-difference-between-receivership-and-liquidation-in-new-zealand\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">wind up or liquidation<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">a company structure is considered more professional and sophisticated;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">there are possible tax advantages to running a business through a company structure;\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">a company structure can better facilitate growth. It also allows the business to take on other stakeholders, such as investors in the company; and<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">it is harder to sell a sole trader business.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">1. Decide Who Will Be Involved in the Company<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">All companies incorporated in New Zealand have two main stakeholders:<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">its \u2018officeholders\u2019, being the company\u2019s directors who are responsible for managing the company day-to-day; and<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">the owners of shares in the company, known as the company\u2019s \u2018shareholders\u2019 or \u2018members\u2019.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Every company must have at least one director who lives in New Zealand or one <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.nz\/business-structures\/live-australia-can-be-director-new-zealand-business\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">director who lives in Australia<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and is a director of a company incorporated in Australia. Directors must be registered with the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/companies-register.companiesoffice.govt.nz\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Companies Office<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and sign a consent form.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Additionally, every company must have at least one shareholder. Shareholders are investors in the company and have the right to vote at shareholder meetings on some decisions about the running of the company. However, they are not responsible for day-to-day management like directors.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"box box--icon box--info\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">When considering setting up a company, you will need to decide who will be the officeholders and shareholders of the company.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">To begin with, you may be the\u00a0company\u2019s sole director, as well as the sole shareholder. Then, as the company grows, you may <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.nz\/corporations\/appoint-or-remove-a-company-director\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">appoint other officeholders<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> and issue shares to new shareholders.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">If you are a shareholder in a company, you should also consider how to hold your shares in your company. For example, you may choose to hold your shares as an individual or through another arrangement, like a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.nz\/business-structures\/discretionary-trust\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">discretionary trust<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.<\/span><\/p>\n    <div class=\"my-7 lg:my-10 border-y-2 border-gray-100 py-7 lg:py-10 flex flex-col sm:flex-row items-start gap-10\">\n                    <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"w-52 mx-auto my-0! rounded\" src=\"https:\/\/img.legalvision.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/10\/11133736\/NZ-Directors-Duties-560x792-1.jpg\" alt=\"Front page of publication\"\n                 loading=\"lazy\" width=\"208\" height=\"298\">\n                <section>\n            <div class=\"text-2xl font-bold\">NZ Directors Duties<\/div>\n            <div class=\"body-text\">\n                <p>Understand your role as a director and how to meet your legal obligations. 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Understand the Tax Consequences of Changing to a Company<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A company is its own legal entity which is separate from you. Therefore, changing your business structure to a company means you are selling your business to a new entity, being the company.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Since a company is its own legal entity, it has its own IRD number and pays tax on its own company income. Likewise, the company must file its own tax returns and have its own set of company accounts. The company tax rate is 28%, which is lower than some tax rates for individuals and sole traders.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">If your business is valuable (including all of its assets and goodwill), obtaining financial and tax advice is best practice. This will help you understand how much money the company should pay to purchase the business from you as well as the tax consequences of doing this. You should also consider any tax relief that you may be able to claim as part of the business restructure.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">3. Incorporate a Company<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Once you have decided who the company\u2019s officeholders and shareholders will be, you need to\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.nz\/corporations\/incorporating-a-company\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">incorporate the company<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. To start with, you will most likely set up a \u2018proprietary\u2019 company, otherwise known as a \u2018private company\u2019.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">As part of incorporating the company with the New Zealand Companies Office, you must have:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">a RealMe\u00ae login; and<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">an online services account with the Companies Register.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">You can then reserve a company name.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Before applying to reserve a name, ensure it is available and meets the Companies Register\u2019s criteria for a suitable name. For example, the name cannot be identical or almost identical to another company or reserved name. The use of some names is also restricted or protected by legislation. There is a $10 (plus GST) fee for reserving a company name.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Documents Needed<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">To incorporate a company, you must also have the following information:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">company contact details, including the address for your registered office;\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">an email address so the Companies Office can send your company\u2019s certificate of incorporation and any future correspondence;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">details of each director, including their:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">full legal name;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">date and place of birth;\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">residential address;\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">date of appointment; and\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">contact information.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">details of each shareholder. Shareholders are required to be registered when incorporating a company. The details required to register a shareholder depend on the type of shareholder, and vary whether they are an individual, a registered New Zealand company, a trustee, or another entity.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Once you submit your incorporation application, you will receive consent forms for each director and shareholder you are registering. You must sign these forms and return them to the Companies Office within 20 working days.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Once this information has been approved, you will receive a certificate of incorporation. Likewise, your company details will become publicly available on the Companies Register.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">4. Transferring the Business\u2019 Assets<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">You may need to transfer the business assets to the new company, depending on what your business owns. To do this, you may need:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">to notify the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.iponz.govt.nz\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">New Zealand Intellectual Property Office<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> (IPONZ) that the owner of any patent, trademark or design registration has changed;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">a sale agreement to transfer the business assets over to the new company;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">to enter into IP assignment agreements whereby any IP you own is assigned to the new company;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">to transfer ownership of any registered business names to the new company; and<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">to change the registrant of your domain names to the company.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">5. Transferring and Updating Contracts<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">If your business contracts with third parties, including employees, suppliers or clients, these will either have to be changed or re-entered. Notably, your company will be representing the business, not you as a sole trader. As such, you will need to advise any employees, suppliers, clients or other third parties you have contracts with that you will now be trading through a company.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">You may also need to\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.nz\/commercial-contracts\/assignment-and-novation-new-zealand\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">assign or novate<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u00a0the contracts to the company or enter into new contracts as the company. Novating a contract is essentially the process of terminating one contract and replacing it with another. You may also need to notify any third parties of your new bank account and billing details where relevant.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"box box--icon box--star\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">If you have business terms and conditions that you operate under, these should be updated to reflect that the business is trading through the company.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">6. Changing Business Insurance<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">If you have business insurance in place, you should notify your insurance provider that you are now operating under a company structure. This helps to ensure that they are insuring you correctly.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Key Takeaways<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">As you grow your business, you will likely change from a sole trader structure to a company structure. This may have many long-term benefits for your business, but depending on your business, restructuring can be complex from a legal, administrative and tax point of view. You need to understand how a company structure operates and what is required to transfer your business to your new company.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">If you have any questions about changing your business structure, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">our experienced <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.nz\/business-lawyers-lp-new-zealand\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">business lawyers<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> can assist as part of our LegalVision membership. For a low monthly fee, you will have unlimited access to lawyers to answer your questions and draft and review your documents. Call us today on <a href=\"tel:+64800005570\" class=\"AVANSERnumber dynamic-number\">0800 005 570<\/a> or visit our <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.nz\/membership\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">membership page<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Frequently Asked Questions<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"schema-faq wp-block-yoast-faq-block\"><div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1667799783856\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>What are some advantages of a company structure?<\/strong><\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Companies have limited liability, meaning that your personal assets are separate from the debts and liabilities incurred by the company. This minimises your personal risk because creditors cannot come after your personal assets in the event of a\u00a0wind up or liquidation. Likewise, a company structure is considered more professional and sophisticated, allowing you to bring in investors to facilitate growth better. Finally, there are possible tax advantages to running a business through a company structure.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1667799808328\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>How do I set up a company?<\/strong><\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Every company in New Zealand will need at least one director and one shareholder (you might decide to be both). Once you have decided who the company\u2019s officeholders and shareholders will be, you need to\u00a0incorporate the company with the New Zealand Companies Office.\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<br \/>After submitting your incorporation application, you will receive consent forms for each director and shareholder you are registering. You must sign these forms and return them to the Companies Office within 20 working days. Once this information has been approved, you will receive a certificate of incorporation.\u00a0<\/p> <\/div> <\/div>\n<div class=\"not-prose m-feedback-prompt\">\n    <!-- Thumbs up\/down bar -->\n    <div class=\"m-feedback-prompt__main\">\n        <div class=\"m-feedback-prompt__title\">Was this article helpful?<\/div>\n        <div>\n            <!--span class=\"m-feedback-prompt__button--text\">Thanks!<\/span-->\n            <button type=\"button\" class=\"m-feedback-prompt__button m-feedback-prompt__button--yes\"\n                    data-analytics-link=\"feedback-prompt:yes\" aria-label=\"Agree\">\n                <i class=\"fa-regular fa-thumbs-up fa-3x\"><\/i>\n            <\/button>\n            <button type=\"button\" class=\"m-feedback-prompt__button m-feedback-prompt__button--no\"\n                    data-analytics-link=\"feedback-prompt:no\" aria-label=\"Disagree\">\n                <i class=\"fa-regular fa-thumbs-down fa-3x\"><\/i>\n            <\/button>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <!-- Feedback form -->\n    <div class=\"m-feedback-prompt__form\">\n        <div class=\"m-feedback-prompt__form--thanks \">\n            <div>Thanks!<\/div>\n            <p>\n                We appreciate your feedback \u2013 your submission has been successfully received.            <\/p>\n        <\/div>\n        <form id=\"contact-form\" class=\"m-feedback-prompt__form--form\" action=\"\" method=\"post\">\n            <input type=\"hidden\" id=\"authenticity_token\" name=\"authenticity_token\" value=\"90c4126e1b\" \/><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"_wp_http_referer\" value=\"\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/218413\" \/>            <input value=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.nz\/business-structures\/sole-trader-to-company\/\" type=\"hidden\" name=\"currenturl\"\n                   id=\"currenturl\">\n            <input value=\"How to Change Your NZ Business Structure from Sole Trader to Company\" type=\"hidden\" name=\"currenttitle\"\n                   id=\"currenttitle\">\n            <label>\n                <!-- display on thumbs-up -->\n                <span class=\"m-feedback-prompt__feedback m-feedback-prompt__feedback--yes\">\n                    Can you tell us <span class=\"font-semibold\">why<\/span> you found it helpful?\n                <\/span>\n\n                <!-- display on thumbs-down -->\n                <span class=\"m-feedback-prompt__feedback m-feedback-prompt__feedback--no text-lg\">\n                    How can we better improve this article?\n                <\/span>\n                <textarea name=\"feedbackmessage\" id=\"feedbackmessage\" required><\/textarea>\n            <\/label>\n\n            <div class=\"m-feedback-prompt__form--error\" id=\"form-submit-error\"><\/div>\n            <button id=\"submit-contact-form-button\" type=\"submit\" name=\"commit\" class=\"m-feedback-prompt__form--submit\"\n                    data-analytics-link=\"feedback-prompt:submit\">\n                Submit            <\/button>\n        <\/form>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As a business owner, there comes a time when you may need to change your business structure to ensure it aligns with your goals for growth. While a sole trader structure is relatively simple to set up and run, making it ideal for those starting a business, it has certain limitations. Alternatively, a company has<a href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.nz\/business-structures\/sole-trader-to-company\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"sr-only\">&#8220;How to Change Your NZ Business Structure from Sole Trader to Company&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13388,"featured_media":215543,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"203050,216237,204192,1242,218280,1870","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","editor_notices":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[25,30,54,110,1333],"class_list":["post-218413","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business-structures","tag-small-business","tag-company","tag-medium-business","tag-sole-trader","tag-companies-office"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.1.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Changing Business Structures: Sole Trader to Company | LegalVision NZ<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"As you grow your business, you will likely change from a sole trader structure to a company structure. 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