Cost of Setting Up an Australian Pty Ltd Company (2026): ASIC Fees

Registering a standard Pty Ltd with ASIC costs $636 (from 1 July 2026, indexed to CPI each year). There's no statutory minimum share capital: a company only has to issue at least one share, commonly $1, before capital is called up.

If you'll trade under a name different from the company's own registered name, a business name adds $47 a year or $108 for three years. An Australian Business Number (ABN) and a Tax File Number (TFN) are both free to apply for.

ASIC can register a standard company within a day or two online through its own portal or a registered agent.

• Choose a company name, or register under an ACN (Australian Company Number) with no separate name.
• Appoint at least one director who ordinarily lives in Australia. A proprietary company can't be formed or run with only overseas-resident directors.
• Decide on shares and shareholders. No minimum capital is required; a single share, commonly for $1, is typical for a wholly owned subsidiary.
• Set a registered office and principal place of business in Australia.
• Lodge the application with ASIC (Form 201) and pay the registration fee. ASIC issues an Australian Company Number (ACN) on registration.
• Register for an ABN, free, through the Australian Business Register, needed to invoice, claim GST credits and register for PAYG withholding.
• Register a business name, if trading under a name other than the company's own, for $47 a year or $108 for three years.
• Register for GST if expected turnover is $75,000 or more, and for PAYG withholding before your first payday.

These can be the larger part of the bill, and they depend on the provider. Get quotes:

• An accountant, for bookkeeping, payroll, BAS lodgements and the company tax return.
• A registered agent or formation service, if you'd rather not deal with ASIC directly; agents typically bundle the $636 registration fee into a package price.
• A resident director arrangement, if none of your own people live in Australia; some providers offer this as a paid service.
• A registered office address service, if you don't want to use your own business address, which becomes publicly visible on ASIC's register.
• Legal advice on a shareholders' agreement or a constitution, if you go beyond ASIC's replaceable rules.

The official one-off cost of a Pty Ltd is modest, $636, but the resident-director requirement can be the bigger obstacle if nobody in your company already lives in Australia. On ongoing cost, see EOR vs local entity for when the annual review fee, accountant and insurances start to beat an EOR's monthly fee, or compare your own headcount with the EOR vs entity calculator. For the day-to-day cost of employing someone in Australia either way, see the Australia country guide.