Company Registers Australia & Corporate Record Maintenance
Register of Members, Shareholder Records, Board Resolutions & Statutory Governance Records
Service at a Glance
Personalized scope & lodgementWage earners, investment property owners, CGT, crypto & standard returns
100% online video meetings (Outlook Calendar) or in-person
Direct electronic ATO portal lodgement by Registered Tax Agent
Draft explained and authorized by you before electronic submission
- Pre-lodgement draft walkthrough & written client sign-off
- Extended ATO tax agent lodgement deadlines available
- Transparent upfront quoting & zero lodgement without approval
What records should a company keep?
ASIC states that company officeholders are responsible for ensuring the company keeps required records. Depending on the company and its activities, records can include financial records, contracts, company meeting records and resolutions, the company constitution where one exists, and registers such as the register of members.
For a company with shares, the register of members - often called the share register - is especially important. ASIC requires all companies to keep a members register containing prescribed information about members and their holdings. Changes to member details or holdings should be recorded in that register.
What is included in a share register?
The register of members records who the members are and the shares they hold. For a company with share capital, it should include each member's name and address, the date they were entered in the register, the number and class of shares held, and the amounts paid or unpaid on those shares. Proprietary companies must also record whether shares are held beneficially. The exact entries depend on the company and its share structure.
If your company is making a current ownership change rather than simply maintaining the register, see our Share Changes service. A share transfer or issue may require both an ASIC notification and an update to the company's internal register.
Why company register maintenance matters
Good corporate records provide a reliable history of the company. They can help directors understand ownership and decisions, support future transactions, make annual reviews easier and reduce confusion when the company changes advisers. They may also be important when a shareholder, auditor, lawyer, lender or regulator needs evidence of particular corporate information.
ASIC makes clear that directors remain responsible for company records even where another person, such as an accountant, physically holds them. Outsourcing company register management therefore supports administration but does not transfer the officeholders' legal responsibilities.
Common problems with company records and registers
Where the issue is a current ASIC update rather than internal record maintenance, our Company Changes service may be the more appropriate starting point. For yearly compliance around the ASIC statement, fee and solvency process, see ASIC Annual Reviews.
What Financially Up can help maintain
The exact scope depends on the company's structure, history and available documents. A company records and registers service may include assembling a current corporate register, reviewing member and share information, updating records for properly completed changes, organizing resolutions and consents, and checking key information against ASIC records.
Financially Up can help with the accounting and company-administration aspects of these records. We do not replace legal advice on the validity of historical transactions, shareholder rights, disputes, constitutional interpretation or missing legal instruments. Those matters may require an appropriately qualified lawyer.
Can an incomplete corporate register be reconstructed?
Sometimes. If records are incomplete, the first step is to gather the evidence that exists - for example ASIC extracts, annual statements, prior accountant files, share certificates, bank or subscription records, signed transfer forms, resolutions and correspondence. From there, gaps and inconsistencies can be identified.
A reconstruction should be based on evidence rather than assumptions. If ownership is disputed or documents conflict, professional legal advice may be required before the register can be finalized.
Ongoing company register management service
For companies with regular changes, ongoing register maintenance can be more efficient than trying to rebuild records later. This can be coordinated with an ASIC Registered Agent arrangement so ASIC correspondence and internal record updates are dealt with in a more consistent workflow.
Centralized statutory registry keeps board decisions, member registers, and ASIC lodgements synchronized under Australian corporate law.
Why choose Financially Up
Financially Up supports company owners with accounting, tax and corporate administration. We are a registered tax agent with more than 10 years of experience, and our team includes CPA and IPA members. We provide Australia-wide support through online appointments, with in-person appointments also available.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about statutory registers, director responsibilities, electronic corporate records, and resolving discrepancies with ASIC.
No. ASIC maintains the public companies register, but companies also have their own statutory and corporate records. For example, companies with members must maintain their own register of members.