Beware of Unofficial ASIC Renewal Notices

Many business owners are surprised to receive letters or emails requesting payment for company annual reviews or business name renewals. While these notices may look official and often arrive around renewal time, they are not always sent by ASIC.

Recently, ASIC has highlighted concerns regarding third-party providers that contact businesses offering to manage company annual reviews and business name renewals on their behalf. These organisations often use publicly available information from ASIC's registers to identify businesses approaching renewal dates and then send correspondence that can closely resemble official ASIC communications.

While these providers may offer legitimate administrative services, their fees are typically charged in addition to the standard ASIC renewal fee. In many cases, businesses may end up paying significantly more than necessary for a service that is either straightforward to complete or already being managed by their accountant or registered agent.

As part of our ongoing service to many clients, we already attend to company annual reviews, ASIC compliance obligations and business name renewals where we have been engaged to do so. Receiving a third-party notice does not necessarily mean any action is required on your part.

Before making any payment relating to a company annual review, annual statement or business name renewal, we strongly encourage you to contact our office first. We can confirm whether the notice is genuine, whether we already manage the renewal on your behalf, and whether any action is required.

A quick phone call or email could save you from paying unnecessary fees and help ensure your ASIC obligations are managed correctly and efficiently.

If you receive a renewal notice and are unsure whether it is legitimate, please forward a copy to our office and we will be happy to review it for you.