New Zealand trust cost depends mainly on the roles and filings the trust needs rather than the place: the resident trustee, the assets, the drafting and the yearly return. We publish the set-up fee for a standard trust in New Zealand on this page; annual administration, event-based work and third-party charges are quoted after we review your case.
The set-up fee for a New Zealand trust is shown under the key facts. The other groups of cost depend on the structure and are quoted after we review your case.
Set-up
Structure design and onboarding checks
Trust deed drafting by the law firm
Trustee acceptance and account opening
Ongoing
Annual trustee fee
Accounting, minutes and records
Reporting to authorities
Third party
Bank and custodian charges
Tax and legal advice in other countries
Registry or stamp duty where it applies
Key facts
Governing law
Trusts Act 2019, in force from 30 January 2021, and the common law[1]
Registration
Register in myIR with the trust deed, settlements and connected persons[2]
Trustee requirement
A New Zealand foreign trust must have one or more resident trustees[2]
Numbers in brackets point to the Sources list at the end of this page.
Set-up fee
Standard trust
USD 10,000
Trust set-up in New Zealand: the fee is fixed for the standard scope listed below.
Includes
Client onboarding, KYC and due diligence
Structure design
Trust deed drafted through a partner law firm
Acceptance of trusteeship by a local partner trustee, coordinated by One Pacific Trust
Filing of any registration the law requires
Excludes
Government fees, initial and annual (passed through at cost)
Stamp duty
Holding or underlying companies
Bank account opening
Tax advice in other countries
Annual trustee, administration and event fees (quoted separately)
VAT or GST where applicable
This fee includes the local partner trustee's acceptance fee as agreed with One Pacific Trust.
Set-up fees shown are One Pacific Trust fees in US dollars for the standard scope described, before government, registry, bank and other third-party charges, which are passed through at cost or billed to you directly.
Annual administration, event-based work and anything outside the standard scope are quoted after we review your case.
A published fee is not an offer and is not tax or legal advice; the terms that apply are those set out in writing when you engage us.
Set-up costs: what they cover
Illustration, not a real client.
Set-up costs pay for the work done before the trust holds any asset. For a New Zealand foreign trust, much of it goes on the trustee roles and the registration.
Structure design and onboarding checks. Agreeing with counsel how the trust fits your aims, and verifying the settlor and the people connected with the trust.
Drafting. A New Zealand law firm drafts the deed under the Trusts Act 2019, in force since 30 January 2021 (source: New Zealand Legislation, Trusts Act 2019). The firm charges for its own time.
Resident trustee. A New Zealand foreign trust must have one or more resident trustees (source: Inland Revenue, Register a New Zealand foreign trust). We work with a local partner for that role, and your engagement letter sets out what it does.
Registration. The trust is registered in myIR with the trust deed, settlements and connected persons (source: Inland Revenue, Register a New Zealand foreign trust).
Trustee acceptance and account opening. The trustee reads the file against the deed, accepts office and opens the accounts.
The set-up guide shows when each of these happens.
Ongoing trustee and administration costs
Each year the trustee holds title to the assets, keeps accounts and records, holds meetings with minutes and refreshes identity checks.
A New Zealand foreign trust also has a yearly filing. Each tax year the trustee files a return with financial statements (source: Inland Revenue, File an annual return for a New Zealand foreign trust). Preparing the statements and the return is a regular cost.
Some tasks are charged when they happen rather than yearly: a distribution to a beneficiary, a change of beneficiary or protector, an amendment to the deed and a change of trustee.
The engagement letter says which tasks fall under the yearly arrangement and which are charged separately. Read it with your own lawyer before you sign.
Third-party costs
Third parties set their own charges. Your quote says which we pass through at cost and which you pay directly.
Cost
Who charges it
When it arises
Drafting the deed and advising on later changes
New Zealand law firm
At set-up, and at each amendment
The resident trustee role
Local partner
At set-up, then each year
Preparing financial statements and the return
Accountant
Each tax year
Account opening and holding the assets
Bank or custodian
At set-up, then ongoing
Tax advice where you live
Your own adviser
Before signing, and if your position changes
Basis: the intake questions we ask New Zealand clients and the sources cited on this page, checked 2026-11-06. The set-up fee shown on this page is for a standard trust; other lines are quoted after we review your case.
Government or registry charges may apply. Your lawyer confirms whether any does in your case, and we tell you before one is paid on your behalf.
What changes the total
Four things move the total more than any others.
The structure. One settlor and a few beneficiaries are simpler than several settlements and many connected persons.
The kind of assets. A portfolio of listed securities is simpler to hold than shares in an operating company or property.
The number of people and countries. More beneficiaries and more countries mean more identity checks and more reporting.
How much of the work you do yourself. Complete documents at the start save time on every later step.
A quote rests on five answers: the structure in mind, the kind of assets, the number of beneficiaries, the countries involved and the roles you want in the deed.
We reply with an estimate. It is not a binding offer, and we confirm it after we have seen the documents and the assets.
What do I pay for when I set up a trust in New Zealand?
You pay for onboarding checks and structure design, a New Zealand law firm's drafting of the deed, the resident trustee's acceptance of office and the registration of the trust. Opening accounts is a further step. The quote lists each of these on its own line so you can compare them.
Are there ongoing costs for a trust in New Zealand?
Yes. The resident trustee charges each year for holding office, accounts, records and meetings, and a return with financial statements is prepared for every tax year. Distributions and changes of beneficiary are charged when they happen. Your engagement letter shows which lines repeat and which arise only on an event.
How do I get a quote for a trust in New Zealand?
Give us the structure you want, the kind of assets, the number of beneficiaries, the countries connected and the roles you plan in the deed. We reply with an estimate and its assumptions, then confirm it once we have seen your papers. It does not commit either side until the engagement letter is signed.
Pick a question for a short answer from our FAQ. Nothing you choose here is sent anywhere. This is a scripted guide from our FAQ, not live chat and not advice.
Setting up, the law and tax
What happens, step by step, when you set up an offshore trust?
First agree the purpose and who should benefit. Your lawyer drafts the deed under the chosen law while the trustee checks identity and the source of the assets. After signing, the assets move into the trustee’s name and are recorded. The guide shows each stage in more detail.
Usually the owner transfers the shares or membership interest to the trustee under the deed, after checking the company’s own documents and any consent a lender or partner must give. The trustee then holds the interest and the company carries on. Company, tax and local law checks come first, so involve your lawyer.
Yes, in the places whose law provides for them. A trust needs a lawful purpose, a valid deed under its governing law, and taxes and reporting dealt with where the people involved live. It cannot be used to hide assets, defeat existing creditors or evade tax. A trustee will refuse a trust whose purpose or funding it cannot confirm.
It depends on where the settlor, the beneficiaries, the trustee and the assets are, and on the law that governs the trust. Many countries tax trust income or distributions in the hands of the people they treat as owners or recipients, and exchange account data under international reporting rules. We do not give tax advice, so ask your own adviser before you sign.
How long does it take to appoint a Hong Kong trustee?
Time depends mostly on how quickly documents arrive and on checks by banks and registries outside our control, so we do not promise a date. Once you apply, the client portal shows each step and what is outstanding, and a 30-minute call sets out what to prepare first.
The cost depends on the structure, the places and assets involved, how many parties the trustee must check, and how much work the trust needs each year. We publish the set-up fee for each place; annual administration and event-based work are quoted after we review your case. Banking, legal and registry charges outside our control can add to it.
A trustee can borrow only if the deed and the governing law allow it. A lender will usually ask to see the deed, the trustee’s authority and the purpose of the loan. Some deeds limit borrowing or need a protector’s consent. Ask a lawyer before approaching a lender.
What is asset management, and is it what a trustee does?
Asset management means running investments for a client, usually under a licence. A trustee does something different: it holds the assets, checks instructions against the deed, approves distributions and keeps the record. A bank or licensed manager that the deed allows for can run the investments.
Hong Kong
Singapore
BVI
Jersey
