Insolvency by the Numbers #62: NZ Insolvency Statistics February 2026 What have the insolvency numbers done in February 2026, we also look at what could be instore for the rest of the 2026 for personal and corporate insolvency. Winding Up Applications We have started off the year with a bit of pressure seen in the number of winding up applications advertised, it has exceeded what we saw in 2025. Businesses are still under the pump, and it is being driven by the IRD in large part making up 193 of the 275 January and February winding up applications. February had 160 applications advertised making up for the slightly slower start seen in January 2026. February 2026 was the 2nd highest…

1 March 2026 As licensed insolvency practitioners, our principal duty under section 253 of the Companies Act 1993 (copied at end of article) is to take possession of, protect, realise, and distribute assets to creditors in a reasonable and efficient manner. This statutory obligation sits at the core of how McDonald Vague operates and guides our approach on every appointment. In practice, this means returning funds to the people and organisations who rely on them most employees awaiting wage and holiday pay arrears, small business owners needing overdue funds to stabilise cashflow, and the IRD chasing their tax arrears. Ensuring meaningful distributions is central to our role and a key measure of effective insolvency administration. Our ability to make distributions…

Insolvency by the Numbers #61: NZ Insolvency Statistics Year End 2025 and January 2026 What have the insolvency numbers done in 2025 along with January 2026, at the same time we take a look at what could be instore for the rest of the 2026 for personal and corporate insolvency. Winding Up Applications Surprising no one based on how the first 11 months of 2025 were tracking we finished the year with 1289 winding up applications for the year, well above any of the past 5 years and reinforcing that we are yet to see the end of the pressure businesses are facing. The January monthly total was 115 applications, slightly down on the 2025 total of 130 application. This…

What has happened with the insolvency stats during November 2025 when compared with the last few years for personal and corporate insolvency ahead of the Christmas break. Winding Up Applications Winding up applications for November 2025 took off like a shot on the back of IRD chasing a group of 45 sushi companies with common stakeholders. Even with the 45 group winding up applications removed the monthly total would remain well above previous November highs and only slightly down on the highs seen so far throughout 2025. The monthly total was 167 applications the highest in the last 6 years , these applications are now starting to be advertised with February court dates reinforcing the courts will be pumping into…

Insolvency by the Numbers #59: NZ Insolvency Statistics October 2025 We take a look at what happened in the insolvency figures during October 2025 when compared with the last few years for personal and corporate insolvency. Winding Up Applications Winding up applications for October 2025 took a slight drop of 1 application from last months highs to remain the 2nd highest they have been in the last 5 years, showing we will indeed be in for a big end to the year for creditor enforced liquidations and liquidations overall. 2025 continues to easily exceed 2024 in total numbers and looks on track to exceed 1,200 applications with 2 months left to run in the year. The ongoing strong levels of…

We take a look at what happened with the NZ insolvency figures during September 2025 when compared with the previous years for personal and corporate insolvency. Winding Up Applications Winding up applications for September 2025 were the highest they have been in the last 5 years hinting as a big end to the year for creditor enforced liquidations and liquidations overall. 2025 continues to easily exceed 2024 in total numbers and looks on track to exceed 1,200 applications. The continued growth in winding up applications reinforces that the market remains under pressure and creditors continue to default on payments and are facing serious collection issues. IRD maintains the pressure it has been putting on delinquent companies to catch up on…

We take a look at what happened in the insolvency figures during August 2025 when compared with the last few years for personal and corporate insolvency. Winding Up Applications Winding up applications for August 2025 were slightly above last years August, with just one advertised winding up application more. Overall, 2025 continues to exceed 2024. Looking at this on a month by month bases we can see in the year to date that this excess was driven by the higher January, February and March we saw at the start of the year, traditionally these have been slower months. IRD smashed our 93 of the 119 applications for the month, that’s a huge 78.15%, well above the long term average of…

Unemployment is rising Inflation is nudging the top of the Reserve Bank’s target band The housing market is flat The US tariffs continue to yo-yo The OCR didn’t drop at the last announcement Its tough out there, and people know it We take a look at what happened in the insolvency figures during July 2025 when compared with the last few years for personal and corporate insolvency. Winding Up Applications Tipping into the back half of the year winding up applications are almost back in triple digits and expected to continue to track up further. Figures were recently released from an Official Information Act request to the IRD showing more than $1.4 billion in unpaid taxes from the 2025 tax…

Where do you look for public notices? If your answer is the NZ Herald, The Post or another regional paper, you’re not alone but you might miss the bigger picture. We publish public notices every week for new insolvency appointments. It’s not optional, it’s a legal requirement under the Companies Act 1993 and other relevant legislation depending on the type of appointment. These notices serve an important purpose: they inform creditors, shareholders, and other stakeholders about key developments like: New insolvency appointments Opportunities to file claims in insolvency engagements, corporate and personal Meetings of creditors Watershed meetings Creditors taking enforcement action against companies and individuals Notices to end appointments These notices are a critical part of the insolvency process. They…

Insolvency by the Numbers #55: NZ Insolvency Statistics June 2025 Below we outline the insolvency figures for June 2025 when compared with the last few years across personal and corporate insolvency. Winding Up Applications As we mark the half way point for the year the insolvency figures follow their normal trend of a slight drop before heading upwards towards Christmas, this is in part driven by people pushing to get things done in the 2nd half of the year and a lack of public holidays delaying mattes. While not back into the triple figures seen at the start of the year the June figures were inline with what was expected for winding up applications. Creditors, particularly IRD, continue to apply…

KiwiSaver and Bankruptcy: A Recovery Option for Creditors Pre-Bankruptcy. New Zealand's KiwiSaver scheme, introduced in 2007, has become a cornerstone of the country's retirement savings framework. However, when financial difficulties arise and bankruptcy looms, both debtors and creditors face complex questions about how KiwiSaver funds are treated in insolvency proceedings. This article explores the intersection of KiwiSaver and bankruptcy law, with particular focus on recovery options available to creditors before formal bankruptcy proceedings commence. If an individual is adjudicated bankrupt in New Zealand, their assets vest in the Official Assignee (OA) for the benefit of creditors. One of the exceptions to this rule is the individual’s KiwiSaver. Despite being considered an asset under the Insolvency Act, the OA cannot access…

Insolvency by the Numbers #54: NZ Insolvency Statistics May 2025 May 2025 saw another OCR drop of 0.25 basis points during the month, despite calls for a larger drop. The property market remains subdued and a buyers’ market, in addition housing stock availability continues to rise, anecdotally there appear to be a lot of recently completed townhouses sitting there unoccupied and awaiting sale. Business confidence remains low. Below we outline the insolvency figures seen in May 2025 when compared with the last few years across personal and corporate insolvency. Winding Up Applications The bounce back from last month’s public-holiday lows saw May just shy of the triple figures we had predicted. The May winding up figures were above the level…