A missed company annual review is not a single problem. It is usually three: an unpaid invoice, a company record that may no longer match reality, and a clock that keeps running while you do nothing. The good news is that the first two are mechanical and can be fixed in an afternoon. The third is what turns a small administrative slip into a threat to the company's registration.
This guide sets out what the annual review asks of you, what a late or missed review puts in motion, and the order in which to fix it. Amounts, deadlines and escalation steps should always be confirmed against your own ASIC statement and with ASIC directly.
What the annual review actually asks of you
Each year, ASIC issues a company annual review. According to ASIC's company annual review page, you can download your company annual review statement through ASIC's online services for company officeholders, where you can also log in or sign up to ASIC's portals. That statement contains your annual invoice and payment details.
The annual statement also lists the details ASIC holds about your company. Treat that as the checklist: registered office and principal place of business, officeholders and their addresses, share structure, and any other particulars ASIC records. If any of it is wrong, the annual review is your regular opportunity to correct it.
There is a separate obligation that catches a lot of directors. ASIC states that if the company has not passed a solvency resolution within two months of the company's annual review date, the company must notify ASIC within seven days. That duty exists regardless of whether you paid the invoice on time.
What a late or missed review puts in motion
Separate what is documented from what you need to confirm.
Documented. ASIC issues an annual invoice with payment details, and the statement is available through the officeholder portal. The solvency resolution notification rule above is set out by ASIC.
Practical interpretation. An unpaid annual review fee is a debt to the regulator that does not disappear because the mail went to an old address. Late payment generally attracts a late fee, and the amount and timing are those ASIC applies and shows on your statement — read the invoice rather than estimating. While the review sits unpaid, ASIC's record of your company also stays unverified, so anyone searching the register is relying on details you have not confirmed.
Verify, do not assume. Continued non-response is the pathway that puts a company's registration at risk, including possible deregistration. The specific triggers, notice periods and any reinstatement steps are matters ASIC administers, and they are not covered in the material referenced here. Confirm the current position directly with ASIC, and check the register for your own company rather than relying on second-hand summaries. Late fees and cancellation consequences can also change, so treat any figure you find in a forum post or an old article as unverified.
Steps to bring the company back into good standing
Work in this order, because later steps depend on earlier ones.
- Log in. Use ASIC's online services for company officeholders to log in, or sign up if you have not used the portals before. Download the annual review statement for the relevant year.
- Read the invoice properly. Note the amount owing, the due date, any late fee already applied, and the payment methods ASIC accepts.
- Pay, or engage immediately. If the company can pay, pay. If it cannot, contact ASIC promptly and say so. Silence is the one response that removes your options.
- Correct the company details. Go through the statement line by line and update anything out of date — addresses, officeholders, shareholdings. An accurate register matters to banks, creditors and counterparties who search ASIC.
- Check the solvency resolution. Was a solvency resolution passed within two months of the annual review date? If not, ASIC requires notification within seven days. Deal with this even if you have already paid the invoice.
- Keep evidence. Save the statement, payment receipt and any confirmation from ASIC. If the company's status is ever questioned, your records are the fast answer.
- Stop the repeat. Put the annual review date in a calendar with two reminders, and confirm the registered office address receives mail. Most missed reviews are a mail or email problem, not a cash-flow one.
Questions to verify before you act
| Question | Where to confirm |
|---|---|
| Exact amount owing, including any late fee | Your ASIC annual review statement and invoice |
| Whether the company's registration is still current | ASIC's register, and ASIC directly |
| Solvency resolution timing and the 7-day notification duty | ASIC's company annual review guidance |
| Whether company details on the statement are wrong | The annual statement itself |
| Whether the company can lawfully keep trading | A registered insolvency practitioner or qualified adviser |
If the company has already been deregistered
That is a different job from paying a late invoice, and it is one ASIC administers. Start by checking the company's current status on ASIC's register, then ask ASIC what the company's status is and what steps are available. Where registration affects assets, contracts or tax positions, get advice from a qualified professional before signing anything. Do not assume a reinstatement is automatic or quick.
Your next step today
Log in to ASIC's online services for company officeholders and download the annual review statement. Within this week, pay the invoice or contact ASIC if the company cannot, correct every detail that is out of date, and confirm whether the solvency resolution and notification obligations have been met. Then diary next year's review date.
If you are separating business administration from your personal finances while you sort this out, our home loan guides cover the borrowing side separately.
This article is general information only. It is not legal, tax, accounting or financial advice, and it does not predict how ASIC will treat any particular company. Fees, deadlines and deregistration processes are set by ASIC and can change. Australian Ltd is not ASIC, a regulator, a lender or a broker, and nothing here is an offer of credit. Confirm your company's position with ASIC or a qualified professional before acting.