Be on the lookout. Marketing material is running rampant.

Have you received mail from an unknown business recently notifying you of an upcoming company annual return or business name renewal? You are not the only one, we have seen a significant spike in marketing material being received by clients from third parties.

These companies monitor ASIC’s public databases and send targeted marketing mailouts to people whose companies or business names are approaching their renewal date; they may even offer a discount for ‘early payment’ or by using a discount code contained in the letter.

It’s important to be aware that these third parties do not act for or represent ASIC; any discount they are offering is a discount of their own service fee, not a discount of any official ASIC fee. Oftentimes the correspondence you receive may not differentiate between the official ASIC fee payable and the service charge they privately collect.

How will you receive official correspondence for registered business name renewal?

ASIC will issue the business name renewal notice to the email address used for the original business name registration (unless it has subsequently been updated via ASIC Connect). It will come from the official ASIC.gov.au domain approximately one month prior to the renewal date.

If Hall Chadwick QLD registered your business name on your behalf, we will forward the renewal notice once received.

The email will contain a link to the renewal notice and a link to ASIC’s online business name renewal service. For the 2026-27 financial year, business name registration fees are as follows:

• $47 for a one-year registration
• $108 for a three-year registration

How will you receive official correspondence for annual company returns?

If you have elected for Hall Chadwick QLD to act as the registered ASIC agent for your company, we facilitate the lodgement of the annual company return and will send you the renewal documentation for your review, signature and payment from our corporate secretarial mailbox (corporate.secretarial@hallchadwickqld.com.au).

If we do not act as the company’s registered ASIC agent, the renewal attendances will be sent directly to you from ASIC, via their online portal (if you have signed up for this access) or to the company’s registered address. The correspondence will arrive on ASIC’s official letterhead and will contain:

• a covering letter containing the instructions to complete the annual attendances;
• the annual company statement which contains the details held by ASIC as of the date of issue for you to review;
• an invoice statement containing the amount and payment details to allow you to make payment of the annual review fee.

This will be sent to you on the anniversary of the company’s incorporation each year. For the 2026-27 financial year, the annual review fees are as follows:

If you receive correspondence regarding your business name or company renewal and are unsure of its legitimacy, or the amount you’re being asked to pay, please reach out to your trusted advisor at Hall Chadwick QLD who will be happy to verify the correspondence for you.