Who must pay ASIC fees + lodge prescribed forms?
The applicability test for Pay ASIC fees + lodge prescribed forms (ASIC), computed across 35 industries, 9 business structures and 6 size bands.
Short answer: Some businesses
Applies when the business has an incorporated company.
What the obligation is
Companies must pay annual fees + lodge prescribed forms within statutory periods (e.g. Form 484 for changes).
ASIC fees: annual review fee, late lodgement fees, ad hoc forms. Form 484 (Change to company details) must be lodged within 28 days of any change (officeholder, registered office, share structure). ASIC late lodgement fees compound rapidly.
The applicability test
Applies when the business has an incorporated company.
How the regulator frames it: All ASIC-registered companies.
What triggers it: Annual review date; specific events (officeholder change, etc.).
Jurisdiction: Commonwealth law, so the test is the same in every state and territory.
Which industries are in or out
Outcome across the 35 industries Rules Mate maps (35 of 35: depends on size or structure).
The answer is the same in every industry: depends on size or structure. Industry does not change who must comply.
Business structure and size
| Structure | Answer across all industries, any size | Engine's reason (real estate agents, 6–19 employees) |
|---|---|---|
| Sole trader | No | Requires an incorporated company |
| Partnership | No | Requires an incorporated company |
| Trust | No | Requires an incorporated company |
| Pty Ltd company | Yes | Incorporated company (Corporations Act) |
| Public company | Yes | Incorporated company (Corporations Act) |
| Not-for-profit (unregistered) | No | Requires an incorporated company |
| Registered charity | No | Requires an incorporated company |
| Super fund | No | Requires an incorporated company |
| Foreign company | No | Requires an incorporated company |
Size does not change the answer across all industries: at every size band the answer is "depends on size or structure".
Worked examples
Each line is one run of the Rules Mate applicability engine for a single business profile, with the reason the engine gives:
- Pty Ltd company in real estate agents with 6–19 employees, turnover $1M–$3M: applies. Incorporated company (Corporations Act)
- Sole trader in real estate agents with 6–19 employees, turnover $1M–$3M: does not apply. Requires an incorporated company.
What you must do, and when
- When due
- Form 484: within 28 days. Annual review fee: within 2 months of review date.
- Frequency
- When a triggering event occurs
- Evidence to keep
- Lodged forms; fee payment evidence.
- Status
- Current
- Priority
- High
Penalty for not complying
Maximum penalty: Late fees + accumulation; deregistration risk for sustained non-compliance.
Audit or assurance level
Rules Mate has not yet classified the audit or assurance level for this obligation. Any audit, review or certification requirement is set by the regulator source listed below.
Obligations with the same applicability test
If this obligation applies to you, so do these 5: the engine uses the same rule for each.
What usually applies alongside it
Across the 1,890 business profiles Rules Mate evaluates, these obligations apply to most of the businesses this one applies to, and are far more common among them than among businesses generally:
- Maintain auditor / financial reporting (Chapter 2M): applies to 58% of the same businesses (4.5× the overall rate)
- Comply with corporate whistleblower protections (Part 9.4AAA Corporations Act): applies to 58% of the same businesses (4.5× the overall rate)
- Beneficial ownership transparency (Tranche 3 — under consultation): applies to 100% of the same businesses (4.5× the overall rate)
Where it sits in the corpus
Rules Mate tracks 2 published obligations tagged "corporations", 0 of them rated critical. For a professional services Pty Ltd company with 6–19 employees operating in every state, 2 of those apply outright. This obligation is rated high priority, and is triggered by events.
Regulator, legislation and tools
Regulated by Australian Securities and Investments Commission.
ASIC: Corporate regulator administering the Corporations Act, financial services and credit licensing (AFSL/ACL), markets supervision, insolvency, and registries (ASIC and ABRS).
Corporations Act: The foundational federal Act for Australian corporate law.
Free tools that help with this obligation:
Questions
- Who must pay ASIC fees + lodge prescribed forms?
- Applies when the business has an incorporated company.
- Do sole traders need to pay ASIC fees + lodge prescribed forms?
- No. Across every industry and every size band, the engine's answer for a sole trader is: no.
- Do businesses with 1–5 employees need to pay ASIC fees + lodge prescribed forms?
- Depends on size or structure (1–5 employees, turnover $100K–$1M).
- When is "Pay ASIC fees + lodge prescribed forms" due?
- Form 484: within 28 days. Annual review fee: within 2 months of review date.
Related
Sources
Computed by the Rules Mate applicability engine from the published obligation corpus; facts last checked 3 October 2026. Rules Mate is not a law firm and this is general information, not legal advice. Confirm your position with the regulator source or a qualified adviser before acting.