This page outlines how fees for service are set.
ASIC charges fees to recover the cost of individual services that are initiated by our regulated population. They are separate from industry funding levies.
Our fees-for-service schedules are outlined below:
Fee-for-service amounts and how they are calculated
Fees for service are user initiated. This means the stakeholder lodges a regulatory form with ASIC to complete a service for a fee. The amounts reflect the direct and indirect costs of the business processes required for each service.
Fees for service are calculated as follows:
- A weighted average hourly rate (WAHR) is determined for each team. This reflects the different structures and levels of seniority within teams.
- The WAHR includes indirect costs, which are apportioned according to the average full-time equivalent (FTE) staff.
- When more than one team contributes to an activity, their respective WAHRs are applied to capture the true cost.
Total fee amount = WAHR × number of hours required to process each form
Tiered fees for service
Under the fees‑for‑service model, fees may not always match our exact costs. This is particularly the case for activities that are more complex, such as notices of changes to operating rules.
To address this, we use tiered fees based on complexity, such as the time required and seniority of staff involved. This means the fee amount better reflects the regulatory effort required. This allows us to recover amounts that more accurately reflect the actual costs.
The complexity criteria are set out in ASIC (Fees—Complexity Criteria) Instrument 2018/578 on the Federal Register of Legislation website.
- AFS licence applications
- credit licence applications
- market licence applications
- Clearing and settlement (CS) facility license applications facility licence applications
- notices of changes to market and CS facility operating rules.
Activities included in fees for service
AFS licensing, credit licensing and professional registration
- Assesses applications for new licences, licence variations and professional registrations or variations to professional registrations against statutory requirements using a risk‑rated assessment framework.
- Applies proportionate regulatory effort, with higher scrutiny for applications assessed as having a higher risk profile.
- Evaluates applicant fitness and propriety, organisational competence, financial resources, compliance arrangements and past regulatory history, drawing on information held by ASIC and information obtained from other regulators or public sources.
- Considers applications to vary existing licences to expand or reduce authorised financial or credit services, often reflecting changes in business models, compensation arrangements or organisational capability.
- Professional registrations are subject to a narrower assessment, reflecting more limited regulatory requirements compared with the application for an AFS or credit licensees.
Key outcomes
- Applications may be not accepted for lodgement, granted, referred to a delegate, withdrawn or modified.
- Modifications may include additional or tailored licence conditions, such as key person requirements, appointment of compliance consultants, or limitations on authorised activities or products.
- Licence variations may result in expanded or reduced scope of authorisation and/or a reduction or imposition of licence conditions.
- Outcomes ensure only suitable persons are licensed or registered and only for activities they are competent and resourced appropriately to provide.
Financial markets, CS facilities, financial benchmarks and trade repositories
- Assesses licence and exemption applications under Parts 7.2, 7.3, 7.5A and 7.5B of the Corporations Act.
- Includes applications for new markets, CS facilities, trade repositories and financial benchmark administrators, as well as requests for exemptions from some or all licensing requirements.
- These applications are fewer in number but typically involve higher complexity, scale and systemic risk considerations.
- Assessment focuses on supporting effective capital formation, risk management, and maintaining market integrity and investor confidence.
Key outcomes
- Applications may be approved, modified, rejected or refused.
- Licence conditions may be imposed relating to financial resources, staffing, governance, systems, or commencement of operations.
- For example, ASIC may require evidence of adequate financial resources or confirmation that required personnel are engaged before operations commence.
- Outcomes support a fair, strong and efficient financial system.
Registration of a managed investment scheme
- Assesses applications to register managed investment schemes against section 601EA of the Corporations Act.
- Applications are generally required to be processed within 14 days of lodgement unless statutory requirements are not met.
- Reviews scheme constitutions and compliance plans for legislative compliance.
- May seek clarification, additional information, or require amendments where provisions appear non‑compliant.
Key outcomes
- If deficiencies are identified and not remedied within the 14‑day period, registration may be refused.
- Outcomes ensure registered schemes meet minimum governance and investor protection standards
Compliance review of documents lodged with ASIC (such as a prospectus or other compliance document)
- Undertakes risk‑based compliance reviews of selected documents lodged with ASIC to assess compliance with disclosure and conduct requirements.
- Focuses on identifying disclosure deficiencies, misleading statements, or conduct issues that may undermine investor or consumer outcomes.
- Includes concurrent consideration of any regulatory relief sought in connection with the transaction.
Key outcomes
- Regulatory outcomes may include corrective disclosure, transaction restructuring, removal or rectification of misleading statements, stop orders, or other enforcement action.
- ASIC may apply to the Takeovers Panel or courts where concerns cannot be resolved.
- Intervention is targeted to protect investors and maintain market integrity.
Requests for changes to market operating rules
- Assesses notifications from market and CS facility licensees regarding proposed changes to operating rules, as required under ongoing statutory obligations.
- Assess the effect that these changes will have on the operation of the facility they are licensed to operate
Key outcome
- ASIC may recommend that all or part of a rule change be disallowed by the Minister or delegate.
Assessment of applications for relief
- Considers applications for exemptions from, or modifications to, specified provisions of the Corporations Act, SIS Act, National Credit Act and related legislation.
- Assesses applications on their individual merits, having regard to ASIC’s regulatory objectives, statutory context, published policy and procedural fairness obligations.
- Relief commonly relates to financial reporting, fundraising, takeovers, managed investment schemes, licensing and disclosure obligations.
- Distinguishes between standard applications and novel applications that raise new or significant policy issues.
Key outcomes
- Novel applications may require additional policy analysis, legal advice or public consultation.
- Additional costs associated with novel applications are recovered through industry funding levies.
- Outcomes support regulatory flexibility while maintaining intended consumer protections.
Activities excluded from fees for service
We have identified around 60 forms for which we no longer charge lodgement fees. For example, there is no lodgement fee for the annual compliance certificate for credit licensees.
The fees received when stakeholders lodge these forms are typically used to support activities across an industry, rather than activities undertaken by an individual entity. These activities are now funded by the industry funding levies.
