25.03.2020
In order to apply for the COVID-19 wage subsidy, you need to have a New Zealand Business Number (NZBN). Your NZBN is a globally unique 13-digit number.
If you are a registered New Zealand business then you will already have a NZBN. To find out what this is, go to nzbn.govt.nz and enter your business name in the search bar.
If you are a sole trader, partnership or trust (i.e. an entity other than a business), you will need to apply for a NZBN if you don’t already have one. This is easy to do on the NZBN website. You will need to know the type of business and complete the application form. In our experience the turnaround has been fairly quick (a couple of working days), although current circumstances may well be impacting on this.