While every company has different costs associated with the everyday running of their business, there are a few ongoing costs that are essential for maintaining compliance and ensuring the smooth operation of a business.
Obligations to ASIC
ASIC is the government regulatory body for all companies within Australia. To meet the legal requirements of a company, these are the costs that are required:
Registration Fees: When setting up a company, there are registration fees payable to ASIC and will provide the issuance of an Australian Company Number which is required to run a company in Australia.
Annual Review Fee: Every year, companies must pay a review fee to ASIC which is due on the anniversary of when the company was registered.
Ad Hoc Fees: In addition to the annual review fee, companies may incur ad hoc fees for specific transactions or changes to their corporate structure. For more information, contact our business services team to determine your specific obligations
Obligations to the ATO
The Australian Taxation Office governs the tax of companies. There are several ongoing costs and requirements that companies must meet, including:
Annual Tax Return: Like individuals, companies must prepare and submit annual tax returns to the ATO. Depending on the income and expenses, there may be an outstanding fee owed at the end of the financial year.
Additional reporting requirements: BAS (Business activity statement), GST, PAYG - these are all different
Additional costs based on specific industries
Depending on your company structure and the industry, there may be additional ongoing costs that you need to keep front of mind. These include:
Acquiring or ongoing licenses/permits
Trademark registrations & renewals
Insurance
For more information on your specific industry, you can visit the government website here.
Lawpath Help
If you'd like specific information for the ongoing costs of your company, please reach out to one of our Lawpath consultants here and they can advise you of the next steps.