Licensed auditors: New Zealand

The Auditor Regulation Act 2011  

If you’re responsible for conducting Financial Markets Conduct Act 2013 (FMC) audits in New Zealand, you must hold a licence under the Auditor Regulation Act 2011 (New Zealand) (ARA).  CPA Australia is an accredited body and is authorised to license individuals under the ARA. Licensees are required to comply with all mandatory, ethical, professional standards and pronouncements.

How to apply

To apply for a licence, you must complete the application form below  and return it with payment to our New Zealand office. 

You must also:

• be ordinarily a resident in New Zealand
• hold a current CPA Australia Public Practice Certificate
• meet the minimum standards for licensed auditors
• satisfy the Board that you are a fit and proper person to hold a license and can meet the continuing obligations of a licensed auditor under the ARA

Application fees

You’ll need to pay the following fees when submitting your application:

• Registrar’s registration fee: NZ$350 (including GST)
• CPA Australia application fee: NZ$144 (including GST

CPA Australia will forward your registration fee to the Registrar of Companies’ office with your application..

The CPA Australia fee is a one-off application processing fee.

Once your licence has been granted, you’ll need to pay these annual fees:

• Financial Markets Authority levy: NZ$2000 (including GST)
• Registrar’s annual licence confirmation fee: NZ$110 (including GST)

You’ll receive an invoice from CPA Australia for these amounts and will forward the funds to the  relevant office in New Zealand.

Your licence

Your licence will be valid for up to five years – the paperwork will specify the expiry date. You’ll need to meet some ongoing requirements to maintain your licence, including:

• following all applicable legislation and standards in your role as a licensed auditor
• maintaining appropriate insurance cover
• maintaining your CPA Australia CPA status membership
• maintaining your CPA Australia Public Practice Certificate
• maintaining your qualifications and meeting continuing professional development requirements
• participating in CPA Australia’s quality review program
• ongoing compliance with any other conditions to which your license is subject
• attending to annual confirmation and payment of applicable fees and levies

More information about auditor licences and auditing in NZ

• Auditor Regulation Act 2011
• Financial Reporting Act 2013
• Financial Markets Authority