ASIC Annual Review Fee (2026): Annual Statement, Solvency Resolution and Late Fees

Every Australian company gets a letter from ASIC once a year, and what you do in the following two months decides whether the company stays in good standing or starts collecting late fees. This guide is for directors of small proprietary companies, SMSF trustee companies and anyone who has just received their first annual statement. It explains what the annual review is, the 2026 fees, the solvency resolution, what happens if you're late, how the 10-year prepayment works and when the cheaper special purpose rate applies — with a worked example in Australian dollars.

Quick answer

On each anniversary of registration ASIC sends an annual statement. Within about 2 months you must pay the annual review fee — A$342 for a Pty Ltd company from 1 July 2026 — check and correct the company's details, and have the directors pass a solvency resolution. Miss the due date and ASIC adds late fees; leave the fee unpaid for a year and ASIC may deregister the company.

• Proprietary company: A$342; special purpose proprietary company: A$70

• Late fees: A$102 (up to a month late) or A$428 (more than a month)

• Solvency resolution: keep it on file; tell ASIC within 7 days only if it's negative or missing

• Prepay 10 years for A$2,538 — no refunds

What the ASIC annual review is

The annual review is ASIC's yearly check that a company's details on the public register are still right and that the company has paid for another year on the register. Your company's annual review date is the anniversary of the day it was registered. A company registered on 15 March has a review date of 15 March every year, unless it later applies to change it.

Shortly after that date, ASIC issues an annual statement. It includes an invoice for the review fee and a list of what ASIC holds about the company: registered office and principal place of business, officeholders, share structure and members. ASIC sends it to one address only, in this order of priority: your registered agent (if the company has one), the company officeholder portal account (you'll get an email), the nominated mailing address, and finally the registered office. If nothing has arrived 15 business days after the review date, contact ASIC — not receiving the statement doesn't move the due date.

The annual review is not a tax return and has nothing to do with the ATO. Most small proprietary companies don't lodge financial statements with ASIC at all, and nothing financial is lodged as part of the review. It's a register-maintenance exercise with a fee attached — but the solvency resolution makes it more than a formality.

The annual review cycle

Step 1

Review date (registration anniversary)

Step 2

ASIC issues annual statement

Step 3

Check and update details

fix errors within 28 days of issue

Step 4

Pay the review fee

due ~2 months after review date

Step 5

Directors pass solvency resolution

within 2 months

The three things you must do

ASIC lists three obligations once the statement arrives.

1. Pay the annual review fee

Pay by the due date printed on the statement, which is usually 2 months after the review date. The invoice shows payment options including BPAY and card. ASIC fees are indexed every 1 July, so a statement issued in June and one issued in August can show different amounts.

2. Check and update the company's details

Go through the statement line by line: addresses, directors and secretary, shareholders, share classes and numbers. If anything is wrong, update it through the officeholder portal (using the company's corporate key) or your registered agent. Two separate clocks apply here. Changes to company details should have been lodged within 28 days of the change happening — if they weren't, a late lodgement fee applies. On top of that, if the statement itself shows something wrong, you must correct it within 28 days of the statement being issued, or a separate late review fee applies. Fixing old errors at review time can therefore cost you twice.

3. Pass a solvency resolution

Within 2 months of the review date, the directors must resolve whether, in the opinion of a majority of them, there are reasonable grounds to believe the company will be able to pay its debts as and when they fall due. The opinion has to rest on actual evidence — current management accounts, cash flow, the tax position — not a habit of ticking a box.

A positive resolution goes into the company's records; you don't send it to ASIC. A negative resolution, or no resolution at all within the two months, must be reported to ASIC on Form 485 within 7 days. The one exception: a company that has lodged a financial report with ASIC in the previous 12 months doesn't need to pass the resolution. For most small proprietary companies, which don't lodge financial reports, the resolution is required every year.

A sole director can pass the resolution by signing a written record of it. Where there are several directors, the usual approach is a short directors' meeting or a circulating resolution signed by all of them, recorded in the minute book.

Annual review checklist

0/8

• Annual statement received (or ASIC contacted after 15 business days)
• Registered office and principal place of business checked
• Every director and secretary listed correctly, with current residential addresses
• Members, share classes and share numbers checked against the members register
• Any errors corrected within 28 days of the statement's issue date
• Review fee paid by the due date on the invoice
• Solvency resolution passed and filed with the company records
• Form 485 lodged within 7 days if the resolution is negative or wasn't passed

Share Print

ASIC annual review fees for 2026

These amounts apply from 1 July 2026, read from the fees data ASIC publishes for the 2026-27 year.

For a sense of scale, the review fee for a Pty Ltd company over ten years at today's rate would be ten times A$342. The prepayment of A$2,538 is lower than that before any future indexation is counted, which is why it suits companies that will certainly exist for a decade — such as a long-term holding company or a trustee company — and doesn't suit a trading company that might be sold or closed.

The special purpose company rate

The lower A$70 fee is only for companies whose sole purpose is narrow and set out in the Corporations (Review Fees) Regulations 2003. ASIC names three main types:

• Superannuation trustee companies — the company acts solely as trustee of a regulated super fund (typically an SMSF), and its constitution doesn't allow it to distribute income or property to its members.
• Home unit companies — a proprietary company formed by the owners or occupants of a block of units to manage the property.
• Not-for-profit companies — whose constitution requires income to be used for charitable purposes, prohibits distributions to members and payment of fees to directors, and requires directors to approve any payment to a director.

Each of these must have a constitution — the replaceable rules alone won't do — because the qualifying restrictions have to be written into it. Our guide to the company constitution explains what that document does.

A company that also acts as trustee of a family trust, or runs any business, isn't a special purpose company and pays the full A$342. If your company becomes, or stops being, special purpose, tell ASIC before the next review date by lodging Form 484 through the officeholder portal and ticking the change of special purpose status. There's no fee for the change, but you must state the purpose, the start date and give an officeholder's declaration. If you register a new SMSF trustee company, you can tick the special purpose box on the registration form so the first review is charged correctly.

Late fees and what happens if you don't pay

Late fees apply in two situations: paying the review fee late, and correcting the statement's details late. The amounts are the same for both.

Late fees from 1 July 2026

A$102

Up to 1 month late

Paying the fee or fixing details

A$428

More than 1 month late

Replaces the lower late fee

12 months

Unpaid after due date

ASIC may start deregistering

ASIC's escalation follows a pattern. It sends a late fee notice to the same address hierarchy as the statement — registered agent, portal, then registered office. If that goes unpaid it sends a second notice. If that's ignored, it writes a final letter of non-compliance to each director's residential address. That's often the first time a director learns the company's mail has been going to an old accountant or an empty office.

The end point is deregistration. The most common reason ASIC deregisters a company is that its review fee is at least 12 months overdue. ASIC writes to the company and directors, marks the company "strike off in progress" on the register, and publishes a notice that it will deregister the company in two months. Paying the outstanding fees within that window can stop it. If the company is deregistered, any property it still owns vests in ASIC and getting it back means a reinstatement application — see our guide to deregistering a company for how that works.

If you missed a deadline because of circumstances genuinely beyond your control, you can ask ASIC to review the late fee, and ASIC may cancel (waive) it. ASIC decides each request on its facts, so explain what happened and include evidence.

Worked example: one Pty Ltd company over two years

Tom runs a bricklaying business through Redgum Masonry Pty Ltd, registered in Hobart on 15 March 2024. He is the sole director and shareholder, and his accountant is the registered agent.

This year. The review date is 15 March. ASIC issues the statement shortly afterwards to the registered agent, and the fee is due on 15 May. Tom's statement shows his old residential address — he moved in January and never told ASIC. His accountant lodges the change, but because the move happened more than 28 days earlier, a late lodgement fee applies to that change. Tom pays the review fee on 1 June, 17 days after the due date. That's within a month, so ASIC adds A$102. His total for the year is A$342 plus A$102 for the late payment, plus the late lodgement fee for the address change.

Had he paid on 20 June instead — more than a month late — the payment late fee would have been A$428, not A$102. The difference between paying three weeks late and five weeks late is more than the review fee itself.

Next year. Tom sets a reminder for early March, updates the portal email so the statement goes straight to him and his accountant, and pays A$342 the week the statement arrives. Before 15 May he signs a one-page solvency resolution based on his bank balance, debtors and the tax he owes on the next BAS, and files it in the company's minute book. Cost: just the fee.

Should he prepay? Tom expects to keep the company for at least ten years and is tired of reminders. Prepaying A$2,538 locks in a decade of review fees below ten years at the current rate and protects him from indexation. The catch: if he sells or closes the business in year three, ASIC keeps the balance. He decides to wait until the business is settled, which is the sensible call for a young trading company.

Changing your annual review date

Groups with several companies often want a single review date. ASIC will consider a change where the companies share an ultimate holding company, an officeholder or a responsible entity, or there are exceptional circumstances. You apply on Form 488 with a fee of A$52 per company (a different rate applies for ten or more companies).

The timing works like this. If the new date is earlier than your current next review date, it applies immediately and your next review comes sooner. If it's later, the current review still happens on the old date and the new date applies from the year after. A change can produce two reviews in one financial year; you pay the review fee only once, but you must still check details and pass the solvency resolution both times.

How a review date change takes effect

New date is…	When it applies	What to expect
Earlier than the next review date	Immediately	Next review — and fee — comes sooner
Later than the next review date	From the year after	One more review on the old date first
Either way	Form 488 + A$52 per company	Fee paid once; details check and solvency resolution each review

Earlier than the next review date

When it applies

Immediately

What to expect

Next review — and fee — comes sooner

Later than the next review date

When it applies

From the year after

What to expect

One more review on the old date first

Either way

When it applies

Form 488 + A$52 per company

What to expect

Fee paid once; details check and solvency resolution each review

Common mistakes and how to fix them

The statement goes to a dead address. Usually an old registered agent or an office you've left. Fix: update the registered agent and contact details now, and sign up for the officeholder portal so statements arrive by email.

Treating the solvency resolution as optional. Because you don't lodge a positive resolution, many directors never pass one. If the company later fails, the absence of honest solvency resolutions doesn't help a director facing insolvent trading questions. Fix: pass a real resolution each year, based on numbers, and keep it.

Paying the fee but ignoring the details. Paying doesn't confirm the details are right. Fix: check every line; correct errors within 28 days of the statement's issue date.

Claiming the special purpose rate for a trading company. A company that also trades, or acts as trustee for a family trust, doesn't qualify. Fix: if your status has changed, lodge Form 484 before the next review date.

Keeping a dead company alive. A company you no longer use still pays A$342 a year. Fix: apply for voluntary deregistration at least two weeks before the next fee is due. Under ASIC's Form 6010 guide, if your review date falls within two calendar months either side of the date ASIC publishes the deregistration notice, you won't have to pay that year's review fee.

Forgetting directors' IDs from 2027. From 1 July 2027, companies will provide director IDs to ASIC as part of the annual review. Fix: make sure every director has a director ID and that their names and addresses match ABRS records.

Official links

• ASIC — Company annual reviewStatement, fee, details and solvency resolution
• ASIC — Late annual review feeLate fees and waivers
• ASIC — Pay 10 years in advancePrepayment amounts and form
• ASIC — Fees for commonly lodged documentsCurrent fee schedule
• ASIC — Special purpose companiesWho qualifies for the lower fee
• ASIC — Form 485 (solvency)Report a negative or missing solvency resolution

What to do next

Put your company's review date in your calendar with a reminder two weeks before, and make sure ASIC's address for the company is one that someone actually reads. If you're still setting up, our guide to registering a company covers the A$636 registration fee and the first-year cycle, and our budget planner helps you set aside the yearly A$342 alongside your other fixed costs.

This is general information, not legal or tax advice — confirm on the official source or with a professional.

Frequently asked questions

How much is the ASIC annual review fee in 2026?

From 1 July 2026 the annual review fee is A$342 for a proprietary company, A$70 for a special purpose proprietary company such as an SMSF trustee company, and A$1,591 for a public company. ASIC indexes its fees each 1 July, so the amount on your statement depends on when your review date falls.

When is the ASIC annual review fee due?

Usually 2 months after your company's annual review date, which is the anniversary of its registration. The exact due date is printed on the annual statement ASIC sends. If the statement hasn't arrived 15 business days after your review date, contact ASIC rather than waiting.

What happens if I pay the ASIC annual review fee late?

ASIC adds a late fee of A$102 if you pay up to a month late and A$428 if you pay more than a month late. If the review fee stays unpaid for 12 months after the due date, ASIC may start deregistering the company. You can ask ASIC to waive a late fee if circumstances were beyond your control.

Do I need to lodge the solvency resolution with ASIC?

Not if it's positive. Directors must pass a solvency resolution within 2 months of the review date and keep it with the company records. You only notify ASIC — on Form 485, within 7 days — if the resolution is negative or if no resolution was passed in time.

Can I pay ASIC annual review fees in advance?

Yes. A proprietary company can prepay ten years of review fees for A$2,538, and a special purpose proprietary company for A$482. You avoid future fee increases, but there's no refund if the company closes early, and the company still has to check its details and pass a solvency resolution every year.

Do I have to pay the annual review fee if my company isn't trading?

Yes. A dormant company that's still registered pays the fee and keeps all its obligations. To stop the fees you need to close the company — usually by voluntary deregistration, applying at least two weeks before the next review fee is due.

Sources & verification

Figures on this page were checked against the sources below when it was last reviewed on 12 October 2026. Each rate and limit is stored once with its own official source and review date, and official update channels are monitored daily so changes are picked up. How we verify

1. 1.Company annual review — Australian Securities and Investments Commission · accessed 12 October 2026
2. 2.Late company annual review fee — Australian Securities and Investments Commission · accessed 12 October 2026
3. 3.Pay company annual review fee 10 years in advance — Australian Securities and Investments Commission · accessed 12 October 2026
4. 4.ASIC fees data file (fees-data-current.json) behind 'Fees for commonly lodged documents' — Australian Securities and Investments Commission · accessed 12 October 2026
5. 5.Special purpose companies — Australian Securities and Investments Commission · accessed 12 October 2026
6. 6.Change a company's annual review date — Australian Securities and Investments Commission · accessed 12 October 2026
7. 7.When ASIC initiates a company's deregistration — Australian Securities and Investments Commission · accessed 12 October 2026
8. 8.Application for voluntary deregistration of a company (Form 6010) and guide — Australian Securities and Investments Commission · accessed 12 October 2026