How to Register a Company in Australia (Form 201)

What Is ASIC Form 201?

Form 201 — Application for Registration as an Australian Company — is the document lodged with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) to legally create a new company. Once ASIC processes the application, the company receives an Australian Company Number (ACN) and is entered on the national register.

Accountants, registered ASIC agents, and authorised representatives can lodge Form 201 on behalf of clients directly through ASIC Connect or through practice management software that integrates with ASIC's services. Note that authority to lodge with ASIC is separate from being a registered tax or BAS agent.

Company Types Covered by Form 201

Before lodging Form 201, confirm the company structure your client needs. The most common types are:

For the vast majority of accounting clients, you will be registering a proprietary limited (Pty Ltd) company.

What You Need Before You Start

Gather the following before opening Form 201 to avoid saving mid-way:

1. Proposed company name — Check availability on ASIC Connect. A name identical or nearly identical to a registered trademark requires written consent from the trademark owner. If you already hold a name reservation, have the reservation number ready.
2. Registered office address — A physical Australian street address (not a PO Box) where ASIC can serve documents. The office must be accessible during business hours.
3. Principal place of business — Where the company actually conducts business. This can be the same as the registered office.
4. Officeholder details — For every director and company secretary: full legal name, date and place of birth, residential address, and confirmation they consent to the appointment.
5. Share structure — The class(es) of shares, the total number of shares in each class, and the price paid and unpaid per share.
6. Shareholder details — Full name and address for each initial shareholder, along with their shareholding.
7. Your agent details — Your name, email, phone, and registered agent number if lodging as a registered agent.

Step-by-Step: Completing Form 201

Step 1 — Company Name

Enter the proposed company name without the legal element (Pty Ltd, Ltd, etc.) — ASIC appends this automatically based on the company type you select.

If using a name reservation, tick the relevant box and enter the reservation number along with the reservation holder's details.

ACN-only option: If the client does not want a name, you can register the company to trade under its ACN alone. The company can adopt a name later by lodging Form 205.

Step 2 — Company Type and Class

Select the company type and subclass. For a standard client registering a private business:

• Type: Proprietary company
• Subclass: Proprietary company limited by shares

If the company is not-for-profit or a special purpose company (such as a bare trustee or SMSF trustee), tick the relevant boxes — these affect regulatory obligations and ASIC fees.

Step 3 — Registered Office

Enter the full street address of the registered office. If the company does not occupy the premises (for example, it is using your firm's address as its registered office), you need written consent from the occupier and must confirm this on the form.

Enter the principal place of business separately if it differs from the registered office.

Step 4 — Officeholders

Add at least one director. A proprietary company must have at least one director who ordinarily resides in Australia. A company secretary is optional for proprietary companies (but required for public companies).

For each officeholder, provide:

• Full given name(s) and family name
• Date and place of birth (city, state or country)
• Residential address (PO Boxes not accepted)
• Roles they will hold: director, secretary, or both

Directors must be at least 18 years of age. You must confirm that each director has consented to the appointment.

Step 5 — Share Classes

Define each class of shares the company will issue. The simplest and most common setup is a single ordinary share class:

• Class code: ORD
• Class title: ORDINARY
• Number of shares: as agreed with the client
• Amount paid per share: the issue price (e.g., $1.00)
• Amount unpaid per share: $0 for fully paid shares

If the company has multiple share classes (for example, ordinary and preference shares), add each class separately. Share class totals are calculated automatically from the shareholdings.

Step 6 — Shareholders (Members)

List every initial shareholder and the shares they will hold. For each shareholder you need:

• Full legal name (and ACN if the shareholder is a company)
• Residential or registered address
• Number of shares and share class
• Whether shares are held as beneficial owner

If shares are held jointly (for example, by a couple), list the primary holder and add any joint holders separately.

Step 7 — Applicant Details

Enter details for the person lodging the form. As the accountant or registered agent, this is typically you:

• Given names and family name
• Email address and phone number
• Business address
• Declaration capacity (registered agent, director, secretary, etc.)
• Your registered agent number, if applicable

Step 8 — Declaration

Read the declaration carefully before signing. By lodging the form, you confirm that all information is true and correct, all officeholders have consented to their appointments, and all shareholders have agreed to take the relevant shares.

The declaration date should be the date of lodgement.

ASIC Fees

ASIC charges a lodgement fee to register a company using Form 201. As at the 2025–26 ASIC fee year, the fees are:

ASIC fees are indexed annually. Always confirm the current fee on ASIC's fee page before lodging. Payment is required at the time of lodgement. If acting as a registered agent, the fee is charged to your ASIC Connect account.

Processing Time

ASIC typically processes Form 201 within 24–48 hours on business days. Complex applications or those selected for manual review may take longer. Once processed, ASIC sends the ACN and Certificate of Registration by email to the applicant.

After Registration: Immediate Next Steps for Your Client

Once the company is registered, advise your client to take these steps promptly:

1. Apply for an ABN — through the Australian Business Register (ABR). The ACN is used as the identifying number.
2. Register for GST — mandatory if expected annual turnover exceeds $75,000 (or $150,000 for non-profits).
3. Register for PAYG withholding — required if the company will employ staff.
4. Open a business bank account— most banks require the Certificate of Registration to open an account in the company's name.
5. Maintain a share register — a proprietary company must keep a register of its members.
6. Execute a shareholders' agreement — strongly recommended where there are multiple shareholders.

Annual Obligations After Registration

A registered company has ongoing ASIC obligations. The most important are:

• Annual review fee— payable each year after the company 's annual review date. As at the 2025–26 ASIC fee year, the annual review fee for a standard proprietary company is $329. Late payment fees apply if the fee is not paid within 2 months of the review date: currently $98 if paid up to one month late, and $411 if paid more than one month late.
• Annual company statement (Form 316) — confirm or update company details each year.
• Changes to officeholders or details (Form 484) — must be lodged within 28 days of any change.

For a complete reference of the forms you'll use after registration, see our ASIC Forms for Australian Accountants guide.

How AccountantOS Streamlines Company Registration

AccountantOS includes a guided company registration workflow that mirrors the Form 201 requirements exactly. You can pre-fill company details from an existing client record, walk through each section with built-in validation that catches common errors before lodgement, review the complete application in a single summary view, and submit directly to ASIC through the integrated connection.

The result is a faster, error-free registration experience for your firm and a professional first impression for your client.