New Zealand resale royalties top NZ$1 million in first year, highlighting the power of international reciprocity
One year after New Zealand introduced a resale royalty for visual artists, the scheme has recorded more than NZ$1 million in royalties - an early milestone that underlines how Artist’s Resale Right can deliver meaningful income over time, and why reciprocal arrangements matter for artists whose work circulates internationally.
The New Zealand Resale Right for Visual Artists Act took effect on 1 December 2024, establishing a legal right for eligible artists and estates to receive a royalty when their original artworks are resold on the secondary market above a minimum sale price. The royalty is set at 5% of the resale price, supporting artists to share in the value created when their work changes hands after the first sale.
Resale Royalties Aotearoa (RRA), the organisation administering the scheme, reports growing activity. One year on since the Act took effect, and the RRA has recorded more than $1 million in royalties. In 2025’s third quarter alone, RRA collected over $371,400 for 168 artists in total. “This is a significant result for the Aotearoa New Zealand visual art community and also recognises the ongoing support from art market professionals and others in the industry”, comments Sam Irvine, CLNZ Chief Executive/Mana Whakahaere.
For UK artists and estates, the early performance of the New Zealand scheme is also a reminder that resale royalties don’t stop at national borders. When collecting societies operate with reciprocal arrangements, royalties can follow artworks into international markets - helping ensure creators and their heirs receive payments even when sales take place overseas.
As the New Zealand market adjusts to its new reporting and payment obligations, the milestone also reinforces a practical message for artists and estates: ensuring your details are up to date is essential. International collections can only be paid through accurately matched information, especially where works are sold across multiple territories over many years.
This first-year result shows that a functioning resale royalty system can begin delivering tangible returns quickly and that, through reciprocity, those benefits can extend beyond one country’s borders to support artists wherever their work is resold.
