InFocus June 2026 - Volume 35 Issue 5
Upcoming fee changes – July 2026
From 1 July 2026, some ASIC fees will change in line with the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
These updates may impact lodgements, transactions and customer enquiries, so it’s important to be aware of what’s changing ahead of time.
We’ve updated our Fees for commonly lodged documents webpage to enable you to compare current fees with the new indexed fees.
For more information about fee indexation, visit our website.
ASIC launches refreshed scams-related information
Protect your business and customers from scams
ASIC has updated its scams-related information as part of its work to help protect Australians from the harmful impact of scams. This updated information:
- Brings together scam alerts and warnings
- Includes developments about ASIC’s scam disruption, reviews and enforcement work
- Provides resources for businesses, including licensees impacted by scams or impersonation
Key topics include:
- Investment scam alerts
- Scams impersonating ASIC
- How to protect your business and customers from scams
- Use ASIC’s resources to help avoid scams
- What to do if your business has been scammed
Share and use this resource to help stay informed and avoid scams: asic.gov.au/scams.
Note: Moneysmart remains our main source of consumer-facing scams guidance.
RA01 uplift: Strengthening the registered agent onboarding process
We’re continuing to strengthen the integrity of Australia’s corporate registers by enhancing the Registered Agent registration process. These upcoming updates will support transparency, reduce risk and promote trusted interaction between business and their advisers.
From 3 June 2026, the following requirements will apply to:
- New registration applicants submitting a RA01 Form
The responsible person lodging the RA01:
- Will be required to acknowledge the requirements to hold a director ID, where applicable.
- Will be required to provide a National Police Check that is no more than 12 months old for new registrations
These requirements will be built into the RA01 form and supported by updated guidance.
These changes help:
- Strengthen the integrity of the Registered Agent registration process
- Reduce the risk of misuse of corporate information
- Give businesses greater confidence when engaging registered agents.
By improving identity and integrity checks, we’re helping protect the registry, business and broader community.
More information about registered agents and their obligations will be available on our website.
RegistryConnect: Company search going live
This month, we are pleased to launch a refreshed ASIC Companies Register search service. The new service will be introduced as a public beta release and will operate alongside ASIC Connect while further enhancements are made.
The initial release will enable users to search for a company, view company summary information (including a list of lodged documents), and check the availability of a company name. One of the key features is a refreshed results page with smart filters for organisation type, status and location, making it easier to find the right company.
You can also expect to see a clearer company profile that outlines basic information such as registration status, ACN/ABN and next annual review date. Users who wish to purchase search products will be redirected to our existing search service, ASIC Connect.
Future releases
In December 2026, the public beta service will be expanded to include the ability to purchase search products, such as company extracts and copies of lodged documents.
Alongside the new public beta search service, new Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) will be released to Information Brokers through machine-to-machine channels. We intend to make new APIs available to Digital Service Providers later this year.
Later in the year, we will also introduce more APIs to provide access to the remaining company register information available through search products, along with enhanced authentication for users, and a new developer portal.
In 2027, further improvements are planned for ASIC’s search services, including the launch of an online person search, an enhanced professional registers search, and the linking of director identification number.
We will continue to share updates as these changes progress. Learn more on our website.
Unsolicited renewal and company review notices
We’re reminding companies and business name holders to be aware of unsolicited communications from third-party service providers about annual reviews or renewals.
Some third-party providers send notices that look legitimate and may charge unnecessary fees for services you can complete directly with ASIC for less.
Learn what to watch for and how to verify before taking action.
ASIC calls for urgent cyber uplift as AI accelerates cyber threats
We're calling on all licensees and market participants to urgently strengthen their cyber resilience measures, as frontier artificial intelligence (AI) intensifies the global cyber risk environment.
These developments reinforce the importance of remaining vigilant and prepared, particularly as cyber risks can impact business operations, customer interactions, and the handling of sensitive information.
We urge you to act now and take the steps outlined in our media release and open letter to Industry.
The way you send branded text messages is changing – SMS Sender ID Register
Important information for businesses, not-for-profit organisations and government agencies
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) is launching the SMS Sender ID Register, to improve trust in text messages and reduce scams.
From 1 July 2026, new rules mean that SMS messages sent from unregistered sender IDs will be labelled ‘Unverified’, and may be treated as suspicious by customers.
What businesses need to do now
- Businesses must register their sender IDs with their telco or messaging provider before 1 July 2026.
- They should act early to avoid delays and disruption.
- They should also ensure their ABR details are up to date to support onboarding.
Why this matters
- Scammers continue to impersonate trusted brands via SMS.
- Reported SMS scam losses remain high (around $18 million in 2025)
- The new SMS Sender ID Register is a key national reform to reduce impersonation scams.
Doing this helps protect your organisation from impersonation, it increases customer trust in your messages and supports a safer messaging environment.
Refer to ACMA guidance for full details on registering sender IDs.
Financial complaints dashboard updated
We have enhanced the Internal Dispute Resolution (IDR) data dashboard, which provides public access to complaints data across the financial services sector. The dashboard allows users to compare complaints across financial firms, including trends, outcomes, resolution timeframes and remedies paid.
Recent updates to the financial dashboard include:
- Updated data covering 1 July to 31 December 2025
- New complainant demographics view (age, gender, location – not at firm level)
- Downloadable data file to support reporting and analysis
These updates improve transparency and make it easier to:
- Benchmark performance across industry
- Identify trends across products, issues and outcomes
- Strengthen complaint handling practices
The dashboard complements Australia Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA’s) reporting and ASIC’s Reportable Situations dashboard, providing a more complete view of complaints across the financial system. Explore the IDR dashboard to understand complaints trends and outcomes.
Simplification update: Coming this month – more forms for email lodgement
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We're continuing to make it easier to lodge by email, with more forms coming in June. Following this release, around 90% of paper forms without an online option will be available for email submission. What’s coming in June?
Why this matters We know your time matters. Expanding email lodgement provides:
Looking ahead This is part of our longer-term plan to improve how people and businesses interact with us. We’re continuing to enhance digital services, and we’ll keep you updated as more improvements are introduced. Read more about ASIC’s simplification initiatives and the latest Regulatory simplification progress report. You can see the full list of forms that can be emailed on our website. |