Company Registration Cost Australia 2026–27: $636 ASIC Fee

How much does it cost to register a company in Australia?

ASIC charges $636 to register a proprietary company with share capital, with no GST (as at 18 October 2026). Registering yourself through the Business Registration Service adds nothing. Providers charged $636 to about $1,003 in total. Then budget $342 a year for ASIC's annual review.

The registration fee is only part of a useful company budget. You also need to know what a provider's fee buys, which registrations are free, and what the company costs to keep running. If you haven't decided whether you need a company at all, compare the tax and running costs in our sole trader vs company guide first.

Company costs at a glance

As at 18 October 2026. ASIC fees aren't subject to GST.

ASIC company registration fee 2026–27

ASIC's fees rose on 1 July 2026, when they were indexed to the March-quarter consumer price index. The government's July 2026 announcement confirms the headline changes: company registration rose from $611 to $636 and the proprietary company annual review fee from $329 to $342. ASIC fees aren't subject to GST, so these are the full government amounts.

The special purpose company fee is for companies whose only activity is acting as the trustee of a regulated super fund or similar, and they must meet ASIC's conditions. Don't choose that classification for a trading company just to cut the bill.

Why some quotes still show $611

Because ASIC indexes its fees every July, any price list written before 1 July 2026 shows the old $611. Providers update their pages at different times. On 18 October 2026, for example, EasyCompanies' pricing page still described its $682 package as including a "$611 ASIC fee". ASIC charges the current fee whatever a provider's page says, so either the provider's margin is smaller than it looks or the final price will differ.

When you compare quotes:

• ask for the ASIC portion and the service fee as two separate lines
• treat any ASIC figure below $636 as out of date
• confirm the total at checkout, including GST on the service fee and any card surcharge.

Older articles may show even lower figures from earlier years. The current amounts are always on ASIC's fee schedule.

When late fees apply

The annual review fee is usually due two months after the company's annual review date, which is normally the anniversary of registration. Pay within a month after the due date and ASIC adds $102; pay later than that and it adds $428. ASIC says it may consider deregistering a company that doesn't pay.

The same two tiers apply when a change notice is lodged late. Changes to the company's addresses, officeholders and shareholders must reach ASIC within 28 days. One overlooked change of address can cost more than the annual review fee itself. Our company annual review checklist covers the deadlines.

What providers charge on top (as at October 2026)

Every route pays ASIC the same $636. The difference is the provider's service fee and what it buys: a constitution, consents, a register of members, share certificates, bundled ABN and tax registrations, or adviser help. The rows below come from each provider's own published price, read on 17 and 18 October 2026, and match the comparison in our step-by-step company registration guide.

How to read the table:

• The ASIC portion never changes. If two quotes differ, the whole difference is the service fee.
• Some extras are free elsewhere. The ABN, TFN, GST and PAYG withholding registrations cost nothing through the government, so a $68 to $99 charge for them pays for convenience.
• Check what renews. A package that bills again each year, or a registered office service, adds to your running costs.
• None of these packages is tailored advice unless it says so. A document pack won't tell you whether a trust should hold the shares or what happens when a co-owner leaves.

An accountant or lawyer usually quotes more than the packages above, because they're advising on the structure as well as lodging it. That's worth paying for when there are several owners, different share classes, a trust as shareholder, or a business moving across from a sole trader structure. Our sole trader to company restructure guide covers the extra steps in that last case.

How long does company registration take?

The application itself is quick. business.gov.au says the Business Registration Service form takes around 15 minutes, and you should get confirmation within 2 business days if you've provided everything and paid the fee. The preparation takes longer, because every director needs a director ID and the owners need to agree the share structure first.

Some providers advertise registration in minutes, but they lodge with ASIC like everyone else. If you need to hide an officeholder's home address, or the company has unusual features such as unlimited liability, ASIC sends a paper form instead and processing takes longer.

Register a company yourself in 7 steps

1. Get a director ID for every director. It's free and each person applies personally through Australian Business Registry Services. See our director ID guide.
2. Choose and check the company name, or decide to use the ACN as the name. Search ASIC's register and, if you need time, reserve the name for $65.
3. Settle the addresses and state. You need a registered office and a principal place of business, both physical addresses, and a state or territory of registration.
4. Decide the shares and rules. Agree who owns what, the share class and numbers, and whether you'll use the replaceable rules or a constitution.
5. Collect signed consents from each director, any secretary, each shareholder, and the occupier of the registered office if the company won't occupy it.
6. Apply through the Business Registration Service and pay $636. Add the ABN, GST and PAYG withholding in the same session if you need them.
7. Finish the follow-up tasks. Open a bank account in the company's name, set up the register of members and share certificates, write the first minutes, and diary the annual review.

Our how to register a company guide walks through each step and the screens in detail.

Direct registration or paid help?

You can use the government's registration service yourself. ASIC's company registration guidance sets out the information and decisions involved.

Doing the application yourself saves the service fee, but the form won't decide whether the structure suits you, who should hold shares or what co-owners should agree. Resolve those questions before submitting details that may be costly to change.

An inexpensive package and a tailored advice engagement are different purchases. Compare the work, not just the headline total.

Build your own setup budget

Use actual quotes rather than assuming a market average applies to your company. This example is illustrative: the ASIC and business name amounts are the current fees, but the service amounts are made-up budgeting inputs, not advertised provider prices. All example service amounts are assumed to include any GST.

If the setup package already includes the advice or government fee, remove the duplicate line. If you don't need a separate business name, remove that too.

Ask for one final payable total and an itemised list. Keep the company registration component separate from working capital, insurance, equipment and launch marketing. Our startup costs guide covers the broader business budget, and business bank accounts compared helps with the account the company must open in its own name.

Check the document package

Ask what you receive: registration certificate, records of consents, share records and any agreed governance documents. Confirm who prepares the records and where they'll be stored.

A constitution isn't a universal extra that every owner must buy in the same form. ASIC explains the choices between company rules and constitutions. Replaceable rules don't apply to a proprietary company where the same person is the sole director and sole shareholder.

If more than one person owns the company, discuss voting, transfers, work expectations and exits before accepting generic documents. A registration package may not include advice on those arrangements; a shareholders agreement usually does that job.

Our company structure guide explains the wider responsibilities. If the company will act as trustee or form part of a more complex arrangement, get advice on that specific setup rather than using an ordinary trading-company budget unchanged. The family trust setup costs guide covers the trustee company case.

Budget for the first annual cycle

Put ongoing costs in a second table. The $342 proprietary company annual review fee is one item. It isn't an all-inclusive government subscription for running the business.

Ask for quotes for bookkeeping, activity statements, year-end accounts and the company tax return according to the work you need. Add accounting software, registered agent services and any registered office service you choose to buy. Our Xero pricing and MYOB pricing guides list current software plans.

For the annual administration itself, use our ASIC annual review checklist. Keep reminders under the company's control even if someone else receives the statement.

Questions before accepting a quote

Check whether the provider's price includes GST and ASIC charges, what happens if an application needs correction, and which optional services renew automatically.

Also ask whether advice on the structure is included or whether the provider is simply lodging the details you supply. "Company setup" can mean either. Make the question specific: will someone advise on the proposed shareholders and governance, or only prepare the chosen documents?

If you intend to trade under another name, factor in business name registration. If you're unsure why you need both company and business identifiers, read ABN vs ACN.

Key takeaways

• ASIC charges $636 to register a proprietary company with share capital from 1 July 2026, up from $611, with no GST.
• Registering yourself through the Business Registration Service adds no service fee; published provider packages cost $636 to about $1,003 in October 2026.
• Any quote showing $611 as the ASIC fee hasn't been updated for 1 July 2026.
• Budget $342 a year for the annual review and avoid late fees of $102 or $428.
• The form takes around 15 minutes and confirmation usually arrives within 2 business days; director IDs and share decisions take longer.
• Use itemised quotes and remove anything counted twice.

Where to get help

• ASIC: current fees, registration guidance and the annual review.
• Business Registration Service: register.business.gov.au for the company, ABN, GST and business name.
• business.gov.au: register a company overview and timing.
• Australian Business Registry Services: director IDs.
• Tax Practitioners Board: check an accountant or tax agent on the TPB register.

Our business registration hub puts the related guides in order.