Don’t Be Caught Out by Third Party ASIC Annual Review Notices

How Third‑Party ASIC Annual Review Notices Can Catch Businesses Out

There has recently been an increasing trend of companies receiving official-looking “annual review” notices from private companies rather than ASIC, charging fees which are often significantly higher than ASIC’s standard annual review fee.

These third-party ASIC annual review notices can appear very convincing. In some cases, they are designed to resemble ASIC correspondence or otherwise create the impression that payment is required to maintain a company’s registration. It is therefore important that company officers and their agents carefully assess any annual review notices before making payment. 

Importantly, ASIC annual review fees are ordinarily payable directly to ASIC (or through your registered agent, accountant, or lawyer if they manage ASIC compliance and lodgements on your behalf).

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Why Third‑Party Notices Can Be Misleading

While these third-party notices are not necessarily unlawful, they often involve additional service fees which many may not realise they are paying. In many cases, the sender may simply be offering to facilitate payment of the ASIC fee on your behalf, but at a substantially increased cost. Some notices also offer “discounted” rates for early payment, however these discounted amounts may still be materially higher than the standard ASIC fee.

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Common Warning Signs to Watch For

Common warning signs of third‑party ASIC review notices include:

• the notice does not come from ASIC directly;

• payment details are for a private company rather than ASIC;

• the fee is higher than ASIC’s standard annual review fee (being $329 for a proprietary company as at 7 May 2026);

• the correspondence uses urgent or official-sounding language encouraging immediate payment; or

• the fine print states that the sender is not affiliated with ASIC.

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What to Do if You Receive an ASIC Annual Review Notice

If you are unsure whether a notice is legitimate, you should consider:

• checking your annual review details directly through the ASIC website;

• confirming with your lawyer, accountant or registered agent whether the notice is genuine;

• reviewing the sender’s details and payment information carefully; and

• reading any fine print or disclaimers contained in the correspondence.

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If you receive a notice that you are unsure about, it is usually worth seeking advice before making payment. A simple check may save your business from paying unnecessary additional fees.

If you would like assistance managing your ASIC annual review obligations, our Corporate Team can help ensure your compliance is handled correctly and cost‑effectively.

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This article includes general information only and is not specific to your situation. If you require assistance in relation to anything contained within this article, please contact us.