Company Registration Services for Australian Founders: Compare Scope and Handover

Compare registration support before comparing totals

Australian founders can apply through the government Business Registration Service or buy preparation and support from a private provider. Compare the same company type, document pack and correction support. A private provider’s advertised total is not proof of the government charge currently payable.[1][2][4][5][6]

This comparison focuses on service scope. Obtain a dated Australian-dollar quote showing the current ASIC charge, the provider fee, GST and optional extras separately. A stale government-fee component can make two advertised totals misleading.

Compare price, scope and the first handover

Australian Government Business Registration Service

• Price check: Obtain the current total in AUD, with the ASIC charge, provider charge, GST treatment and extras itemised. Confirm the company type covered before relying on an advertised starting price.
• Scope and documents: The service supports proprietary limited companies, specified public companies and special-purpose companies. It can combine company registration with an ABN, business name and listed tax registrations.[1]
• Handover and help: Unfinished applications can be resumed and submitted applications tracked through the application summary. The service warns intermittent issues may prevent completion or payment, in which case users are told to try again later.[1]

eCompanies

• Price check: Obtain the current total in AUD, with the ASIC charge, provider charge, GST treatment and extras itemised. Confirm the company type covered before relying on an advertised starting price.
• Scope and documents: The offer includes an ACN and required documents, with submission of ABN, TFN, GST and PAYG applications also available.[2]
• Handover and help: eCompanies advertises ACN, ABN and documents within minutes, but this is a vendor-reported speed claim.[2]

Registry Australia

• Price check: Obtain the current total in AUD, with the ASIC charge, provider charge, GST treatment and extras itemised. Confirm the company type covered before relying on an advertised starting price.
• Scope and documents: Services include company establishment, business-name management, ABN applications and monitoring of company and business dates.[3]
• Handover and help: The first document handover is not explained. Registry Australia reports locally based support and an average call wait below 30 seconds; these are provider claims.[3]

Company123

• Price check: Obtain the current total in AUD, with the ASIC charge, provider charge, GST treatment and extras itemised. Confirm the company type covered before relying on an advertised starting price.
• Scope and documents: The service automates Australian private-company registration and supplies full registration documents.[4]
• Handover and help: Documents are emailed, and telephone and email support are advertised 24 hours a day.[4]

Corporate Express

• Price check: Obtain the current total in AUD, with the ASIC charge, provider charge, GST treatment and extras itemised. Confirm the company type covered before relying on an advertised starting price.
• Scope and documents: Online and full-service ordering are available. The provider says its documents are drafted, reviewed and updated by HWL Ebsworth and Vale Legal Pty Limited.[5]
• Handover and help: The page lists ASIC compliance and corporate-secretarial outsourcing, but does not set out the first-handover sequence, timing or application tracking.[5]

Abbots Incorporation Services

• Price check: Obtain the current total in AUD, with the ASIC charge, provider charge, GST treatment and extras itemised. Confirm the company type covered before relying on an advertised starting price.
• Scope and documents: The pack includes the ASIC certificate, constitution, bank kit, certified Form 201, minutes, consents, officeholder and member registers, share certificates and templates.[6]
• Handover and help: After ASIC confirms registration, documents and the ACN are available to download within minutes and an email is sent. Rejections are notified through the dashboard and email, with amendments and resubmission offered without charge.[6]

What paid assistance can add

• Document detail: Abbots itemises its incorporation pack, while eCompanies promises required documents and Company123 refers to full registration documents.[2][4][6]
• Direct support: Company123 advertises telephone and email support around the clock.[4]
• Ongoing administration: Registry Australia offers compliance monitoring, while Corporate Express provides ASIC compliance and corporate-secretarial outsourcing.[3][5]
• Rejection handling: Abbots publishes a process for notification, correction and free resubmission after an ASIC rejection.[6]
• Physical documents: Abbots offers optional printing in a tabbed folder and says a requested company register is prepared and sent by secure courier within one business day.[6]

Claims about speed, popularity, reliability and call performance come from the providers rather than independent evidence.[2][3][4][6]

Choose according to registration and support needs

• For combined government registrations: The government service can handle supported company types alongside an ABN, business name and listed tax registrations.[1]
• For an online application with related tax registrations: eCompanies offers company registration and submission of ABN, TFN, GST and PAYG applications. Require a current itemised quote and a clear distinction between an application submission and a registration being approved.[2]
• For ongoing reminders: Registry Australia monitors important company and business dates and annual-review requirements.[3]
• For round-the-clock contact: Company123 advertises 24-hour telephone and email support and sends registration documents by email.[4]
• For broader corporate administration: Corporate Express also offers trusts, self-managed superannuation funds, company changes, ASIC compliance and corporate-secretarial outsourcing.[5]
• For an itemised pack and published rejection process: Abbots lists its documents and allows rejected applications to be amended and resubmitted without charge.[6]

Private and public unlimited companies cannot be registered through the government service; applicants must contact ASIC or use a business service provider.[1] State licences and permits are also outside that service and must be found through the Australian Business Licence & Information Service.[1]

What to confirm with each provider

Obtain the following details in writing before payment:

• Government service: Confirm the company-registration fee, documents supplied after registration and available rejection assistance.[1]
• eCompanies: Request the itemised document list, eligible company types, delivery method, support terms and rejection process.[2]
• Registry Australia: Request the total registration price, ASIC-fee breakdown, included documents, delivery process and rejection handling.[3]
• Company123: Confirm the ASIC-fee component, introductory-price conditions and expiry, exact delivery timing and rejection process.[4]
• Corporate Express: Obtain the complete fee breakdown and confirm delivery timing, tracking and rejection assistance.[5]
• Abbots: Confirm the optional printing price and expected courier-delivery timeframe.[6]
• Contract and exit terms: The government, eCompanies and Registry Australia pages do not publish cancellation, refund, minimum-contract, renewal or lock-in terms.[1][2][3] The Company123, Corporate Express and Abbots pages likewise do not publish these terms.[4][5][6]
• Government charge: Check the applicable current ASIC schedule immediately before paying. Ask the provider to identify the official fee category and effective date, rather than treating an undated website amount as current.

References

1. Australian Government Business Registration Service (business.gov.au)
2. eCompanies | Register a company or business online (ecompanies.com.au)
3. Register a Business Name, ABN & Company | Registry Australia (registry.com.au)
4. $691 Online company registration – Company123 Pty Ltd (company123.com.au) (company123.com.au)
5. Company Registration Australia & New Company Incorporation | Corporate Express (corporateexpress.com.au)
6. Company Registration | Fast & Quality Service 24/7 – Abbots – Incorporation Services (abbots.com.au)