Australian companies
Please note: From 2024, this Regulatory index will no longer be maintained and will be unpublished in the near future.
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The regulatory index is a subject matter index that will help you find ASIC regulatory documents and legislative instruments by topic.
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Find out more about the regulatory index or see related information at:
- Home > For business.
Starting a company
This section contains:
- New ID requirement for directors
- Registering a company
- Company type
- Company names
- Company numbers
- Registered office and place of business
- Replaceable rules and constitution
- Officeholders
- Issuing shares
New ID requirement for directors
Company directors need to verify their identity as part of a new director identification number (director ID) requirement. A director ID is a unique identifier that a director will apply for once and keep forever. Find out more at our Director ID information page.
Related information
INFO 79 Your company and the law
Registering a company
INFO 8 ASIC corporate key
INFO 5 Application for suppression of residential address
INFO 61 Steps to register a company
Company type
INFO 18 Changing company type
INFO 49 Minimum officeholders
Company names
RG 13 ACN, ARBN and company names
RG 50 Omission of "Limited" from company names
INFO 4 Reinstatement of the registration of a company
INFO 16 Changing a company name
INFO 71 Company name availability
INFO 199 Disputes about similar company names
Company numbers
INFO 13 Australian company numbers
Registered office and place of business
INFO 7 Changes to your company
Replaceable rules and constitution
RG 134 Managed investments: Constitutions
INFO 23 Constitution and replaceable rules
INFO 63 Replaceable rules outlined
Officeholders
INFO 2 Alternate directors
INFO 5 Application for suppression of residential address
INFO 49 Minimum officeholders
INFO 73 The importance of sole company directors/shareholders of having a will
Background
Regulatory index topic: Australian companies: Running a company - Directors' and other officers' obligations
Issuing shares
INFO 15 Cancellation of shares
INFO 56 Reduction in share capital
INFO 70 Shares
Running a company
This section contains:
- Annual review
- Audits
- Change of details
- Continuous disclosure
- Directors' and other officers' obligations
- Disputes
- Employee redundancy funds
- Executive remuneration
- Fees
- Forms
- Meetings
- Members
- Registers and record keeping
- Reporting to shareholders, including financial reporting
- Solvency declarations
- Superannuation
- Takeovers, compulsory acquisitions and relevant interests
- Whistleblower policies
Annual review
INFO 3 Annual statements
INFO 10 ASIC initiated deregistration of a company
Audits
RG 26 Resignation, removal and replacement of auditors (see News item 1/8/2023)
RG 43 Accounts and audit relief
RG 115 Audit relief for proprietary companies
RG 260 Communicating findings from audit files to directors, audit committees or senior managers
CP 352 Communicating audit findings to directors, audit committees or senior managers (see 21-327MR)
INFO 62 Removal of an auditor under the Corporations Act 2001 (see News item 1/8/2023)
INFO 196 Audit quality – The role of directors and audit committees
Background
Regulatory index topic: Financial reporting
Regulatory index topic: Auditors
Change of details
INFO 5 Application for suppression of residential address
INFO 7 Changes to your company
INFO 15 Cancellation of shares
INFO 16 Changing a company name
INFO 17 Changing a financial year
INFO 18 Changing company type
INFO 20 Company officeholder duties
INFO 56 Reduction in share capital
Continuous disclosure
RG 95 Disclosing entity provisions relief
RG 25 Takeovers: False and misleading statements
RG 62 Better disclosure for investors
RG 73 Continuous disclosure obligations: infringement notices
Directors' and other officers' obligations
RG 9 Takeover bids
RG 22 Directors’ statement as to solvency
RG 24 Disclosure of directors’ interests — unissued shares
RG 64 Failure to lodge documents
RG 76 Related party transactions
RG 193 Notification of directors' interests in securities—listed companies
RG 217 Duty to prevent insolvent trading: Guide for directors (see CP 372 Guidance on insolvent trading safe harbour provisions: Update to RG 217 and 23-253MR)
RG 261 Crowd-sourced funding: Guide for companies
ASIC Corporations (Disclosure of Directors' Interests) Instrument 2016/881
ASIC Corporations (Directors' Report Relief) Instrument 2016/188
INFO 5 Application for suppression of residential address
INFO 7 Changes to your company
INFO 20 Company officeholder duties
INFO 26 Dealing with businesses and companies
INFO 42 Insolvency: A guide for directors
INFO 50 Notifying a market operator about directors’ interests in company securities
INFO 76 What books and records should my company keep?
INFO 79 Your company and the law
INFO 183 Directors and financial reporting
INFO 231 Guidance on the duties of directors of mutual companies
REP 486 Sell-side research and corporate advisory: Confidential information and conflicts
REP 555 Cyber resilience of firms in Australia’s financial markets
REP 578 ASIC review of proxy adviser engagement practices
REP 593 Climate risk disclosure by Australia’s listed companies
REP 631 Director and officer oversight of non‑financial risk report
REP 651 Cyber resilience of firms in Australia’s financial markets: 2018–19
Related information
Home > For business > Running a company > Company officeholder duties
Home > For business > Closing your company > Deregistration (Winding up companies - Company officers' obligations)
Regulatory index topic: Financial reporting: General financial reporting requirements - Directors' report
Disputes
INFO 162 Disputes between officeholders and / or members of small proprietory companies
INFO 186 Disputes about access to company information
INFO 188 Disputes about your rights as a proprietary company shareholder
INFO 189 Using 'Limited', 'No Liability' or 'Proprietary' in a name
INFO 208 When companies break laws that ASIC does not enforce
INFO 215 Companies limited by guarantee - Disputes about members' rights
Employee redundancy funds
ASIC Corporations (Employee Redundancy Funds Relief) Instrument 2015/1150 (see 18-285MR and 21-241MR)
Executive remuneration
INFO 245 Board oversight of executive variable pay decisions (updated 15/3/2021 - new title)
Fees
INFO 3 Annual statements
INFO 30 Fees for commonly lodged documents (see News item 1/8/2023)
INFO 37 Late fees
Forms
INFO 57 EDGE
INFO 77 Registered agents
Meetings
RG 44 Annual general meeting – extension of time
RG 68 New financial reporting and procedural requirements
RG 174 Externally administered companies: Financial reporting and AGMs
CO 99/840 Transitional relief and quorum requirements
INFO 17 Changing a company financial year
INFO 22 Passing a company resolutions
REP 564 Annual general meeting season 2017
REP 578 ASIC review of proxy adviser engagement practices
REP 609 Annual general meeting season 2018
Members
INFO 47 Members of a company
Registers and record keeping
RG 63 Access to debenture and prescribed interest registers
RG 85 Reporting requirements for non-reporting entities
RG 86 Beneficial ownership notices
CO 98/101 Members of companies, registered schemes and disclosing entities who are uncontactable
INFO 76 What books and records should my company keep?
INFO 192 Disputes about company addresses and company mail
INFO 193 Disputes about share registry services
Background
Regulatory index topic: Financial reporting: General financial reporting requirements - Record keeping obligations
Reporting to shareholders, including financial reporting
RG 58 Reporting requirements – Registered foreign companies and Australian companies with foreign company shareholders
RG 174 Externally administered companies: Financial reporting and AGMs
RG 247 Effective disclosure in an operating and financial review (see 19-208MR)
ASIC Corporations (Directors' Report Relief) Instrument 2016/188
INFO 31 Financial reports
INFO 131 Companies limited by guarantee – simplified obligations
INFO 203 Impairment of non-financial assets: Materials for directors (see 19-208MR)
Background
Regulatory index topic: Financial reporting
Solvency declarations
RG 22 Directors’ statement as to solvency
RG 217 Duty to prevent insolvent trading: Guide for directors (see CP 372 Guidance on insolvent trading safe harbour provisions: Update to RG 217 and 23-253MR)
Background
CP 372 Guidance on insolvent trading safe harbour provisions: Update to RG 217 (see 23-253MR)
Superannuation
INFO 89 Communicating with employees about superannuation fund choice: what you can and cannot do (see 21-272MR)
Related information
Home > Regulatory resources > Superannuation funds > Superannuation guidance, relief and legislative instruments
INFO 241 Prohibition on influencing employer’s superannuation fund choice (see 21-272MR)
Takeovers, compulsory acquisitions and relevant interests (September 2023)
Seven remade legislative instruments relating to takeovers, compulsory acquisitions and relevant interests replacing existing relief that was due to sunset on 1 October 2023.
ASIC Corporations (Changing the Responsible Entity) Instrument 2023/681
ASIC Corporations (Takeover Bids) Instrument 2023/683
ASIC Corporations (Compulsory Acquisitions and Buyouts) Instrument 2023/684
ASIC Corporations (Bidder Giving Substantial Holding Notice) Instrument 2023/685
ASIC Corporations (Warrants: Relevant Interests and Associations) Instrument 2023/687
ASIC Corporations (Replacement Bidder’s and Target’s Statements) Instrument 2023/688
ASIC Corporations, Credit and Superannuation (Amendment and Repeal) Instrument 2023/699
Report 773 Response to submissions on CP 365 Remaking ASIC class orders on takeovers, compulsory acquisitions and relevant interests (REP 773) details the submissions received in response to Consultation Paper 365 Remaking ASIC class orders on takeovers, compulsory acquisitions and relevant interests (CP 365).
Amended:
- ASIC Corporations (Managed Discretionary Account Services) Instrument 2016/968
- ASIC Corporations (Relevant interests, ASIC and ASIC Chairperson) Instrument 2023/194
Repealed:
- Class Order [CO 13/519] Changing the responsible entity
- Class Order [CO 13/520] Relevant interests, voting power and exceptions to the general prohibition
- Class Order [CO 13/521] Takeover bids
- Class Order [CO 13/522] Compulsory acquisitions and buyouts
- Class Order [CO 13/524] Bidder giving substantial holding notice
- Class Order [CO 13/525] On-sale disclosure relief for scrip bids and schemes of arrangement
- Class Order [CO 13/526] Warrants: Relevant interests and associations
- Class Order [CO 13/528] Changes to a bidder's statement between lodgement and dispatch
- Class Order [CO 13/898] Representative proceedings and proof of debt arrangements funded by conditional costs agreements
- Class Order [CO 14/1252] Technical modifications to Schedule 10 of the Corporations Regulations
- ASIC Credit (Repeal) Instrument 2016/1087
- ASIC Superannuation (RSE Websites) Instrument 2017/570
- ASIC Corporations (Repeal and Transitional—Relief for Providers of Retirement Estimates) Instrument 2022/204
Withdrawn: Regulatory Guide 252 Keeping superannuation websites up to date (RG 252).
Related information
Home > Regulatory resources > Takeovers and reconstructions
Regulatory index topic: Takeovers and reconstructions
Whistleblower policies
INFO 238 Whistleblower rights and protections
INFO 239 How ASIC handles whistleblower reports
RG 270 Whistleblower policies: see 19-308MR and 19-372MR
INFO 238 Whistleblower rights and protections: see 19-164MR
INFO 239 How ASIC handles whistleblower reports: see 19-164MR
INFO 246 Company auditor obligations under the whistleblower protection provisions: see news item
INFO 247 Company officer obligations under the whistleblower protection provisions: see news item
ASIC Corporations (Whistleblower Policies) Instrument 2019/1146
REP 635 Response to submissions on CP 321 Whistleblower policies (see CP 321 and submissions)
Related information
Home > About ASIC > ASIC investigations and enforcement > Whistleblowing
REP 758 Good practices for handling whistleblower disclosures (see 23-046MR)
Fundraising
Related information
Regulatory index topic: Fundraising
Home > Regulatory resources > Fundraising
Winding up companies and insolvent external administration
This section contains:
- Overview
- Voluntary administration and deeds of company arrangement
- Receiverships and controllerships
- Schemes of arrangement
- Company officers' obligations
- External administrators
Overview
RG 174 Externally administered companies: Financial reporting and AGMs
RG 242 ASIC's power to wind up abandoned companies
ASIC Corporations (Externally-Administered Bodies) Instrument 2015/251 (see 21-263MR; REP 703; CP 337 and submissions; and 21-009MR)
INFO 29 External administration – controller appointments and schemes of arrangements - most commonly lodged forms (see News item 1/8/2023)
INFO 39 Insolvency information for directors, employees, creditors and shareholders
INFO 41 Insolvency: A glossary of terms
INFO 42 Insolvency: A guide for directors
INFO 43 Insolvency: A guide for shareholders
INFO 45 Liquidation - A guide for creditors
INFO 46 Liquidation - A guide for employees
INFO 80 How to interpret ASIC insolvency statistics
INFO 163 Financial reporting compliance by administrators of insolvent public companies
INFO 212 Concerns about illegal phoenix activity
Related information
Home > For business > Closing your company
Home > About ASIC > Corporate publications > Newsletters > ASIC Corporate Insolvency Update
Home > For business > Small business > Closing a small business > Illegal phoenix activity
Voluntary administration and deeds of company arrangement
RG 82 External administration: deeds of company arrangement involving a creditors’ trust
INFO 74 Voluntary administration: a guide for creditors
INFO 75 Voluntary administration: a guide for employees
Receiverships and controllerships
RG 14 Receivers—retention of company records
RG 16 External administrators—reporting and lodging
INFO 54 Receivership: a guide for creditors
INFO 55 Receivership: a guide for employees
Schemes of arrangement
RG 60 Schemes of arrangement – s411(17)
RG 142 Schemes of arrangement and ASIC review
INFO 29 External administration – controller appointments and schemes of arrangements - most commonly lodged forms (see News item 1/8/2023)
Background
Regulatory index topic: Takeovers and reconstructions: schemes of arrangement
Company officers' obligations
RG 81 External administration: Early destruction of books (see News item 1/8/2023)
INFO 53 Providing assistance to external administrators: books, records and ROCAP
Related information
Regulatory index topic: Australian companies: Running a company - Directors' and other officers' obligations
External administrators
RG 16 External administrators—reporting and lodging
RG 82 External administration: deeds of company arrangement involving a creditors’ trust
RG 174 Externally administered companies: Financial reporting and AGMs
CP 96 Insurance requirements for registered liquidators
Background
Regulatory index topic: Liquidators
Deregistration of companies
This section contains:
- Overview
- Company initiated deregistration
- ASIC initiated deregistration
- Reinstatement
- Deregistered companies
Overview
Home > For business > Closing your company > Deregistration
Company initiated deregistration
RG 64 Failure to lodge documents
INFO 25 Deregistering a company
INFO 78 Winding up a solvent company
ASIC initiated deregistration
RG 64 Failure to lodge documents
INFO 10 ASIC initiated deregistration of a company
Reinstatement
RG 83 Reinstatements
INFO 4 Reinstatement of the registration of a company
Deregistered companies
Related information
Home > For business > Closing your company > Effects of deregistration
Other Australian registrable bodies
Background
Regulatory index topic: Other entities: Registrable Australian body
Disqualification from managing a corporation
INFO 14 Bankruptcy and personal insolvency agreements
INFO 151 ASIC's approach to enforcement