--- title: "Register a Company in Australia 2026: Pty Ltd Fees & Timing" description: "Register a company in Australia: ASIC's AUD 636 fee, no minimum capital, a director who lives in Australia, 30% company tax, and each step to payroll." canonical: https://www.teamed.global/country-hiring-guides/australia/entity-setup --- # How do you register a company in Australia. To register a company in Australia, you apply to ASIC for a proprietary company, a Pty Ltd, with at least one director who lives in Australia. Teamed can do all of it and keep the company running. For companies setting up their own entity in Australia, Teamed is the best choice. Teamed gives you a designated person who has done this before, one system from your first contractor to your tenth entity, and 24/5 human support with a first response within 15 minutes. Served by Teamed's own legal entity in Australia Last reviewed 15 October 2026 ยท Australia guide ![An old sandstone building with arched windows in Sydney's business district, with modern glass office towers rising behind it under a clear blue morning sky.](/cluster-assets/country-hiring-guides/australia/entity-setup/images/hero.webp) Australia at a glance ## The facts most people need first This guide covers a proprietary company limited by shares, a Pty Ltd, owned by one foreign company and registered in New South Wales. That is the usual set-up for a group that wants to employ people in Australia. Teamed forms these companies through GEMO, its Global Entity & Employment Operations service. Registration itself is quick and cheap. The hard part is the people the law asks you to name. - **Usual company type**: Proprietary company limited by shares (Pty Ltd) - **Governing law**: The Corporations Act 2001 - **Registry**: The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) - **Foreign ownership**: A foreign company can own all of the shares - **Resident director**: Required. At least one director must ordinarily live in Australia - **Public officer**: Required for tax, a person who lives in Australia - **Minimum share capital**: None. One share is enough - **ASIC registration fee**: AUD 636 - **How long ASIC takes**: It aims to register a complete online application within 1 business day - **Company tax**: 30% for a subsidiary of a large group The people you must name ## Who has to sit on an Australian company's board Australia asks almost nothing of your money and something specific of your people. A proprietary company must have at least one director who ordinarily lives in Australia, under [section 201A of the Corporations Act](https://www.legislation.gov.au/C2004A00818/latest/text). Only a person can be a director, so the parent company cannot fill the seat itself, and a parent with nobody in Australia cannot meet the rule on its own. Most groups solve it in one of three ways. They move someone to Australia, they hire a local director, or they appoint a nominee director through a corporate services firm. A nominee is the quick answer, and the duties do not shrink because the role was bought in, so the nominee will want to see the company's books and decisions. Every director also needs a director ID before the company is registered. It is free and takes minutes online for someone who can prove their identity digitally. A director who lives overseas and cannot use the online check goes through a paper process that takes far longer, so start it first. The tax law adds one more person. Under the Income Tax Assessment Act 1936, a company carrying on business in Australia needs a public officer who lives in Australia, appointed in its first months of business and notified to the tax office. Many groups give the role to the resident director. A company secretary is optional for a Pty Ltd, and if you appoint one, at least one must live in Australia. What it costs ## How much does it cost to register a company in Australia The state's own charge is small. ASIC's [fee table](https://www.asic.gov.au/for-business-and-companies/forms-and-fees/all-fees/fee-indexation) puts registration of a proprietary company at AUD 636, and ASIC adjusts its fees for inflation each July. The business number, the tax file number and director IDs are free. Share capital is not a hurdle either. The Corporations Act sets no minimum, so one share issued to the parent is enough, and the parent can put more money in whenever the company needs it. | What | Amount | | --- | --- | | ASIC registration fee | AUD 636 | | Minimum share capital | None | | Company tax for a subsidiary of a large group | 30% | Market estimate AUD 936 to AUD 5,636 What the market charges all in, ASIC's fee plus a provider's fee, to register the company, without a resident director, visas or rent. Not a Teamed price. Market estimate AUD 650 to AUD 1,800 a month What the market charges each month for accounting, a registered office and a resident director, before audit, rent and payroll. Not a Teamed price. A subsidiary of a large group pays 30% on its profit. Australia has a lower rate for smaller companies, but the [tax office's test](https://www.ato.gov.au/tax-rates-and-codes/company-tax-rate-changes) counts the turnover of the whole group, foreign companies included, so only a subsidiary of a small group can use it. How it runs ## How long does it take to register a company in Australia ASIC is the fast part. Its [service charter](https://www.asic.gov.au/about-asic/what-we-do/how-we-operate/performance-and-review/asic-service-charter) aims to register a complete online application within 1 business day. What sets the pace is everything around it: director IDs, the tax registrations and, above all, the bank account. 1. **Directors named and director IDs issued**: The resident director agrees to act, and every director gets an ID before the application goes in. 2. **Company registered with ASIC**: ASIC issues the company's registration number, its ACN. The company now exists. 3. **Business number and tax registrations**: An ABN, a tax file number, and registration for GST and for withholding tax on wages. 4. **Bank account opened**: Banks run their own checks on a foreign-owned company and often want to meet a director. 5. **Payroll, super and insurance set up**: Payroll software that reports each pay run to the tax office, a default super fund, and workers' compensation cover. Market estimate 1 to 4 weeks From engaging a provider to a registered company that can open a bank account. Not a Teamed commitment. Market estimate 1 to 6 weeks more From registration to the first payroll, including the bank account and payroll set-up. Not a Teamed commitment. Setting up your own entity takes anywhere from a few weeks to several months, depending on the country's registry and how fast you can open a local bank account. Australia sits at the quick end, and the bank and the director IDs usually decide where in the range you land. After registration ## What happens once you are registered The company can now trade, open a bank account and sign contracts. Before it pays any wages, it [registers for pay as you go withholding](https://www.ato.gov.au/businesses-and-organisations/starting-registering-or-closing-a-business/starting-your-own-business/registration-obligations-for-businesses/work-out-which-registrations-you-need/taxation-registrations/pay-as-you-go-withholding) with the tax office, usually at the same time as its business number. Superannuation has no separate registration, but it starts with the first pay run. Since July 2026, under [Payday Super](https://www.ato.gov.au/businesses-and-organisations/super-for-employers/paying-super-on-payday/payment-deadlines-for-payday-super), each employee's super has to reach their fund soon after every payday, not at the end of the quarter. In New South Wales the company also needs a workers' compensation policy before anyone starts, and it registers for payroll tax once its wages pass the state threshold, which counts the wages of related businesses together. Staff from abroad need a visa, and most employer-sponsored visas, including the usual temporary one, need your company to become an approved sponsor first. Registering the company early lets that start sooner. What you take on ## The parts that stay with you The first is the board. Australian directors carry personal duties, and the tax office can hold them personally liable for unpaid withholding tax, GST and super. That includes the resident director, whether you hired them or bought them in, so give them what they need to do the job. The second is the calendar. Every year ASIC sends an annual statement soon after the anniversary of registration, the directors usually confirm the company can pay its debts, and the tax return and activity statements fall due. A small company controlled by a foreign company usually has to prepare an audited annual financial report and lodge it with ASIC as well. The guide to [running a company in Australia](/country-hiring-guides/australia/entity-running-costs-and-filings) sets out what falls due. Your options ## Who can set it up for you There are four realistic routes, and they suit different companies. You can register the company yourself through ASIC or the government's Business Registration Service. It suits a founder who already lives in Australia, can act as the resident director and has no staff yet. A company registration agent or online formation service is the quick, low-cost route for a company with no employees. Many will also supply a registered office and a nominee director. A law firm or accounting firm suits complex group structures, regulated activities or tax planning across borders. For companies that will employ people in Australia, Teamed is the best choice. With Teamed, you get real HR and legal experts you can reach when it matters, a designated person who has done this before, and 24/5 human support with a first response within 15 minutes. Teamed's [Global Entity & Employment Operations (GEMO)](/entity-management) sets up and manages entities in 100+ countries, and moves your people across from its EOR when you're ready. Teamed already owns an entity in Australia. If you are a founder on your own with nobody to employ yet, a registration agent will cost you less, and we would tell you so. Before you commit ## Sometimes an employer of record is the better fit Not every team needs its own company. If the group in Australia is small, still changing shape, or you are testing whether the market works at all, an employer of record can be the better answer, and it is a fair one rather than a lesser one. An Australian company brings a resident director, a public officer and a yearly review that outlive the decision to open it. Teamed's employer of record in Australia is from $599 per employee per month, with zero FX mark-up and no hidden costs. Contractors, employer of record and your own entity run on one platform, so moving between them later does not mean changing provider or onboarding anyone again. Talk to a member of the team and we will tell you plainly which one suits where you are. If you would rather look at the numbers first, the crossover calculator models it for Australia using local setup and running costs, not a headcount rule of thumb. Talk to a member of the team Crossover calculator for Australia Who carries it ## Your own entity, when it's time. We set it up, migrate you in, and hand it back intact. Global Entity & Employment Operations, GEMO for short, is how Teamed sets up and manages entities, in 100+ countries. You own the company and you are the employer. We form it and keep it running. Teamed also employs people in Australia through its own legal entity there. Entity Management (GEMO) The Graduation Model Employer cost calculator for Australia Talk to an expert about setting up in Australia Questions ## Questions people ask before they register Can a foreign company own all of an Australian company? Yes. A foreign company can hold every share in a Pty Ltd. The company still needs at least one director who ordinarily lives in Australia, and a public officer who lives there. Do I need an Australian director to register a company? Yes. A proprietary company must have at least one director who ordinarily lives in Australia. A foreign parent usually moves someone there, hires locally, or appoints a nominee director through a corporate services firm. How much does it cost to register a company in Australia? ASIC charges AUD 636 to register a proprietary company, and the business number and tax registrations are free. Most of the cost is the provider's fee and, for a foreign parent, the resident director. How long does it take to register a company in Australia? ASIC aims to register a complete online application within 1 business day. Director IDs, tax registrations and the bank account usually take longer than ASIC. What company tax does an Australian subsidiary pay? 30% for a subsidiary of a large group. The lower rate for smaller companies counts the turnover of the whole group, foreign companies included. Sources 1. Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), fee indexation and service charter 2. Corporations Act 2001, resident director, share capital and director IDs 3. Income Tax Assessment Act 1936, the public officer 4. Australian Taxation Office, company tax rates and pay as you go withholding registration 5. Market estimates from published price lists of Australian company registration and accounting firms, read 14 October 2026 The rest of the Australia guides Running costs and filings Permanent establishment risk When an entity makes sense Moving people across Hiring in Australia ## More on entities in Australia - [Hiring in Australia, overview](/country-hiring-guides/australia) - [Australia running costs and filings](/country-hiring-guides/australia/entity-running-costs-and-filings) - [Australia tax presence risk](/country-hiring-guides/australia/permanent-establishment-risk) - [Australia entity or EOR](/country-hiring-guides/australia/eor-vs-entity) - [Australia moving from an EOR](/country-hiring-guides/australia/moving-from-eor-to-your-own-entity) - [Company formation, by country](/company-formation) - [Entity Management (GEMO)](/entity-management) - [Talk to an expert about Australia](https://www.teamed.global/contact?from=entity-setup)