The Business Payment Practices Act 2023 will come into effect on 25 May 2024. It will require large businesses to publicly report information on their payment practices to the Business Payment Practices Register.

The legislation applies to businesses with more than $33 million in annual revenue and $10 million in third party expenditure. The information that must be reported on includes:

• The average time to pay supplier invoices.
• The percentage of invoices paid in full within the required timeframe, and
• A description of the business’s standard payment terms (if any).

If a business fails to comply with its reporting obligations, it could be fined up to $9,000. If a business intentionally provides false or misleading information, it could be fined up to $500,000.

The Act is designed to address payment delays that can have significant impacts on the cash flow for New Zealand’s small and medium-sized businesses.

If you would like more information or advice on any of the above topics, please feel free to contact us.