Australia Company Registration & Business Setup
You can register a company in Australia once the ownership, directors, Australian addresses and share structure are settled. A standard Pty Ltd must have at least one director who ordinarily resides in Australia, and every director needs a director ID before appointment. Foreign shareholders may generally own all shares, but company ownership does not create visa or work rights, and some investments or activities need separate approval.
The current ASIC registration fee for a standard proprietary company is A$636. A clean ASIC filing can move quickly; becoming operational takes longer because the ABN, TFN, GST, banking, payroll and licences follow different rules and timelines.
Information checked 12 September 2026 against ASIC, ABRS, ABR and Australian Government guidance.
ASIC government fee
A$636 · standard Pty Ltd
Is a company the right structure for you?
Registering a Pty Ltd is sensible when the legal separation, ownership structure and growth plan justify the extra governance. It is not automatically the best answer for every freelancer or early-stage test.
Australian founder or team
A Pty Ltd is usually worth considering when you want limited liability, several owners, employees, outside investment or a business that can continue separately from you.
Pause first: a low-risk one-person activity may be simpler as a sole trader, at least while you validate demand.
Founder based overseas
A locally incorporated Pty Ltd can hold contracts, employ staff and separate Australian operations. You will need a genuine resident director arrangement and an Australian operating footprint that banks and regulators can understand.
Pause first: settle visa, foreign investment, tax residence and banking assumptions before treating registration as the finish line.
Established overseas company
Compare a wholly owned Australian subsidiary with registering the overseas company as a branch. Liability, customer contracts, parent reporting and exit plans usually matter more than filing speed.
Pause first: a branch keeps the parent exposed; a subsidiary adds a separate governance and tax perimeter.
Common company
Pty Ltd
Foreign ownership
Generally up to 100%
Resident director
At least one
Minimum capital
No statutory minimum
Choose the structure that matches the work
These are the three routes most often compared by founders. Partnerships, trusts, public companies and special-purpose companies also exist, but they answer different ownership or governance needs.
Individual route
Sole trader
Legal identity
You and the business are the same legal person.
Control
Individual operator; no company director.
Owner exposure
Personal liability is not separated from the business.
Registry number
ABN if entitled and operating an enterprise.
Usually suits
A local individual testing a low-risk, modest operation.
Common company path
Proprietary Limited
Pty Ltd
Legal identity
A separate Australian legal entity.
Control
At least one director ordinarily resident in Australia.
Owner exposure
Shareholder liability is generally limited, but directors retain personal duties and some exposures.
Registry number
ACN from ASIC; most operating companies also apply for an ABN and TFN.
Usually suits
Startups, SMEs, joint founders and overseas groups wanting a ring-fenced local subsidiary.
Overseas company route
Registered foreign company
Australian branch · ARBN
Legal identity
The overseas parent operates in Australia; the branch is not a separate entity.
Control
An Australian local agent is required.
Owner exposure
The overseas parent remains responsible for branch liabilities.
Registry number
ARBN after ASIC registers the foreign company; tax registrations follow as relevant.
Usually suits
An established overseas company that accepts parent liability and group-level reporting.
Do not choose a branch simply because it sounds lighter. Parent-company document certification, local-agent duties, annual returns and parent financial statements can make it more demanding than a Pty Ltd. Compare tax, liability and reporting before filing.
One detail often missed
Each proposed director applies for their own director ID. An adviser cannot apply on the director's behalf.
What ASIC needs before you file
Most delays begin before submission. If names, residential addresses, dates of birth or consents do not match the underlying records, the fastest online form will not rescue the application.
Directors and director IDs
A Pty Ltd needs at least one individual director aged 18 or over who ordinarily resides in Australia. Every director must obtain a director ID before appointment and provide written consent.
Members and shares
Set the shareholder names, residential addresses, share classes, issue price and paid or unpaid amounts. A proprietary company has at least one member and no more than 50 non-employee members.
Australian addresses
Provide a physical registered office and a physical principal place of business in Australia; a PO box is not enough. If another party occupies the registered office, obtain their written consent.
Name and governance
Choose an available name or use the ACN as the name, decide the state of registration, and adopt the statutory replaceable rules, a constitution or a combination. Keep signed officeholder and member consents with the company records.
You can verify the filing building blocks on the ASIC company registration page and the personal application rule on the ABRS director ID page.
Six steps to set up an Australian company
ASIC creates the company. It does not, by itself, complete the tax, banking, employment or licence work needed to trade.
Choose the legal path
Compare sole trader, Pty Ltd and branch. Check whether foreign investment, land, national-security or industry rules should be resolved before money is committed.
Prepare people and consents
Confirm directors, resident-director coverage, members and beneficial owners. Each director obtains a director ID; the company retains signed consents.
Set name, addresses and shares
Check the company name, prepare the registered office and principal business address, then document the share classes, ownership and governance rules.
Lodge with ASIC
Submit the company application and government fee. Once registered, ASIC issues the ACN and certificate; the corporate key is sent to the registered office.
Complete business and tax registrations
Apply for an ABN and company TFN, then add GST, PAYG withholding or other tax roles only when the facts require them. Register a separate business name if the trading name differs.
Build the operating layer
Prepare bank KYC, accounting, invoices, contracts, payroll, insurance and the federal, state or council licences tied to the actual activity and location.
What the first year really costs
Separate the unavoidable government charge from professional work and recurring services. A low headline price is not comparable with a package that includes an Australian address, resident director governance and tax registrations.
Registry cost snapshot
Government and registry charges
These charges are separate from professional work, address services, banking, tax, licence and third-party costs.
Checked 12 September 2026
Amounts in Australian dollars
A$636
Standard Pty Ltd
Paid to ASIC when the company is incorporated.
A$0
ABN application
Free through the Australian Business Register if entitled.
A$0
Director ID
Each director applies personally before appointment.
A$47 / A$108
Business name
One year / three years, if the trading name differs.
A$342
ASIC annual review
Standard proprietary company after its first review date.
ASIC indexes fees, usually from 1 July, so check ASIC's current fee schedule again before lodgement.
From filing to trading
A realistic setup timeline
The ASIC filing is one milestone. Tax registrations, bank review and licences follow their own clocks.
Business days
Preparation
Structure, name, IDs, director coverage, addresses, consents and share terms. Cross-border KYC can extend this stage.
Business days
ASIC planning range
For a straightforward filing with accepted data. Manual review, name issues or unavailable systems can take longer.
Days
ABN and TFN
An ABN can issue immediately; a referred application may take up to 20 business days. A company TFN can take up to 28 days.
Weeks
Operational readiness
A planning range for bank review, licences, payroll and accounting. Regulated sectors, complex ownership or in-person bank checks can exceed it.
HSJGlobal service packages
Starting prices below cover clearly defined, straightforward cases. We confirm ownership, activity and risk before accepting an engagement.
Local founder
Local Pty Ltd Setup
For founders who already have an eligible Australian resident director and usable addresses.
- ASIC A$636 registration fee included
- Name, officeholder, share and address review
- Constitution, consents and company register pack
- ABN and company TFN application support
- Address, resident director and accounting excluded
Overseas founder
Cross-Border Pty Ltd Setup
For an overseas-owned company that needs local governance and an Australian registered office.
- Local package and ASIC fee
- Resident director service, subject to acceptance
- Registered office and mail handling for one year
- ABN, TFN and relevant GST registration support
- Bank application preparation; approval not guaranteed
Overseas company
Foreign Company Branch
For an established legal entity registering itself to carry on business in Australia.
- Subsidiary-versus-branch readiness review
- ASIC foreign company registration pack
- Australian local agent and registered office for one year
- ARBN and initial tax-registration coordination
- Translation, notarisation and apostille quoted separately
Pricing note: amounts are in Australian dollars. Australian GST, where applicable, and any additional legal, tax, licence, certification, translation, bank or regulator charges are confirmed before work begins. Resident director and local agent services require separate due diligence and are not automatically available.
Four questions to settle before incorporation
Foreign ownership is usually possible, but it adds real dependencies. Work through these before you lock in the structure or promise a launch date.
Who will genuinely serve as resident director?
A resident director is not a name rented for an ASIC form. Every director has statutory duties, needs enough information to exercise judgement and may face personal consequences for misconduct or insolvent trading.
Our approach: ownership, activity, countries, expected transactions, governance and record access are reviewed before an appointment is considered.
Will anyone live or work in Australia?
Owning shares or becoming a director does not grant a visa. If a founder plans to work onshore, check the appropriate immigration route independently and early.
Use the Department of Home Affairs visa finder; do not infer work rights from a company certificate.
Does the investment need prior notification?
Ordinary incorporation and foreign investment clearance are separate systems. Land, acquisitions, foreign government investors, national-security businesses and other sensitive cases can trigger notification or approval.
Check the current Australian foreign-investment guidance before signing a binding acquisition or land contract.
Can the bank verify the business story?
Banks and payment providers make their own decisions. Expect checks on directors, beneficial owners, source of funds, customer and supplier countries, expected volumes and the commercial reason for an Australian account.
Plan for evidence: a website or deck, contracts, invoices, group accounts, funding records and a clear transaction map. An introduction is not an approval.
Registration is not permission to trade
The post-registration work depends on what you sell, where you operate, who you employ and how the owners fund the company.
ACN, ABN and TFN
The ACN identifies the company. The ABN identifies an eligible enterprise in dealings with government and business. The company TFN is used for income-tax administration. They are not interchangeable.
GST and PAYG
Most businesses register for GST when current or projected GST turnover reaches A$75,000. Register PAYG withholding before withholding amounts from wages or other covered payments.
Company tax
The lower company tax rate is 25% for a company that qualifies as a base rate entity; the full rate is 30%. Turnover alone does not establish eligibility, and cross-border income needs separate analysis.
Licences and permits
Food, construction, transport, finance, health, education, importing and local premises can require federal, state, territory or council approvals. The company certificate does not replace them.
Use the first invoice as your readiness test
The legal name and number are correct
Show the company name and ACN where required; use the ABN on business documents and tax invoices once issued.
The tax treatment is decided
Know whether GST applies, how cross-border services or goods are treated and which entity earns the revenue.
The activity can lawfully begin
Check professional, product, premises, import and local-government approvals before advertising a regulated service.
Licence requirements change by location
A national company registration does not give one national licence. Use the Australian Government's ABLIS tool with the actual activity and council area.
Open ABLISFor a practical walkthrough, read our Australia business licence guide.
Treat the bank account as a separate approval
An ACN and ABN prove registration; they do not prove that a bank should accept the risk. A bank may ask for an Australian visit, certified identity records or more evidence where all owners and controllers are overseas.
Choose a provider by the currencies, payment rails, cash needs, lending requirements and countries involved—not by the shortest advertised onboarding time.
Prepare one consistent KYC file
- Certificate, constitution, register and current ownership chart
- Identity and address evidence for directors and beneficial owners
- Contracts, invoices, website or plan showing genuine Australian activity
- Source of funds and expected countries, currencies and monthly volumes
- Explanation of why the chosen account and Australian entity are needed
What HSJGlobal can do: prepare the file, flag inconsistencies and coordinate an introduction. The financial institution retains the approval decision.
What remains after the company is registered
A well-kept company is easier to bank, finance, sell and close. Build the compliance calendar when you incorporate, not when the first late notice arrives.
ASIC annual review
Check the annual statement, pay the review fee by the due date and pass the required solvency resolution. The current standard proprietary-company fee is A$342.
Company changes
Keep ASIC details, officeholders, addresses and share records current. Many changes must be notified within 28 days, and late fees can apply.
Accounts and tax
Maintain records, lodge the company tax return and submit BAS or other reports when registered. Related-party and overseas transactions may need transfer-pricing support.
Employees and payroll
Before the first pay run, organise PAYG withholding, superannuation, payroll records, workers compensation and applicable workplace obligations.
Director oversight
Directors monitor solvency, records, tax and major decisions. A resident director agreement does not remove these duties or transfer them back to a shareholder.
Licence renewals
Track renewal, reporting, responsible-person and premises conditions for each approval. An active ASIC registration cannot cure an expired operating licence.
Annual review is not the same as an audit
Every registered company has an ASIC review cycle, but not every small proprietary company needs an audit. Financial-report lodgement and audit requirements depend on size, foreign control, activity, group circumstances and any ASIC direction. Decide this with an Australian accountant rather than inferring it from the incorporation package.
Check ASIC annual review obligationsOfficial Australian sources
Fees, thresholds and filing systems change. These are the primary pages we use to recheck the position for a live engagement.
Questions founders ask before they proceed
Clear answers to the points that most often change the scope, budget or launch date.
Let's map the right Australian setup.
Tell us what the business will do, who will own it and where the decision-makers are based. We will identify the structure, registrations and dependencies that should be resolved first.
- Pty Ltd, branch and ownership comparison
- Resident director and address readiness
- ASIC, tax, banking and licence sequence
Have these points ready
A short first conversation is usually enough when the core facts are clear.
- 1Business activity and intended Australian customers
- 2Owners, percentages and countries of residence
- 3Proposed directors and any Australian address
- 4Hiring, banking, premises and target launch date
We will confirm scope and fees before any paid work begins.
