First board meeting and first auditor

Establish the company’s first deadlines

For companies subject to the ordinary board-meeting rule, the first board meeting is due within 30 days of incorporation. A single-director OPC follows a different decision-record route. The first auditor of a non-government company is appointed by the board within 30 days of registration. If the board fails, it must inform the members, who appoint the auditor at an extraordinary general meeting within the statutory 90-day period. Government companies have a separate appointment sequence. Companies Act, sections 139(6), 139(7), 173 and 122.

We establish the relevant route from the company class, certificate date and actions already taken. A missed deadline needs a documented assessment of the current position; it cannot be repaired by recording an earlier meeting that never happened.

Build the agenda around actual decisions

The first meeting commonly records the incorporation documents, registered office, directors’ disclosures, proposed auditor and banking arrangements. We check what has already been completed and which decisions require further information.

A director’s consent to act and disclosure of interests serve different purposes. Each director’s interest disclosure is considered at the first board meeting in which they participate and when later changes require disclosure. It should identify relevant interests rather than repeat a generic nil declaration. Companies Act, section 184.

The proposed auditor provides consent and eligibility information. An appointment decision also needs a clear term and remuneration arrangement. Appointing the auditor is separate from completing the year’s audit.

Prepare, meet and record

We begin with the certificate, memorandum and articles, incorporation application, director details, proposed auditor information and any existing resolutions. For a bank resolution, provide the intended bank and its requested wording. The bank will still conduct its own KYC and document checks.

Before the meeting, we prepare notice, agenda and supporting resolutions. Directors review the matters and hold the meeting through a permitted route. Afterwards, we draft minutes from the actual attendance, disclosures, decisions and dissent, then coordinate review and authorised signing.

The current ADT-1 includes a first-auditor appointment category. The appointment pack therefore addresses the current form and filing position rather than using an older template that omits first-auditor information. Companies (Audit and Auditors) Amendment Rules, 2025, revised ADT-1.

Records you receive

The pack contains the meeting papers, approved resolutions, minutes for authorised signature, auditor consent and appointment records, and the applicable filed records and acknowledgements. It also identifies the person responsible for bank opening, subscription receipts, share records and the next compliance dates.

Preparation depends on the incorporation file, director availability and the proposed auditor’s response. Our corporate team handles the applicable filings and registry follow-up after the directors approve and sign the records.

Questions founders ask

An auditor can be selected before the first meeting so that consent and eligibility are ready when the appointment is considered. Bank opening may require additional documents beyond the resolution. A meeting record should describe the decision made, even where the supporting application will follow later.

If the 30-day period has passed, contact us with the certificate date, any meeting papers and the auditor-appointment status. We will identify the outstanding action and applicable corrective route before new documents are signed.

Related services

• Company incorporation

• Recurring board meetings

• Statutory audit

Email TheTaxCo, message us on WhatsApp or book a call. Include the incorporation date, company type, first-meeting status and whether an auditor has been selected.