Voluntary deregistration is the clean way to close a Pty Ltd company. Instead of leaving it dormant and racking up ASIC review fees indefinitely, you formally ask ASIC to remove it from the register — and once that's done, the company stops existing as a legal entity, no more annual reviews, no more fees.

Are you eligible?

Voluntary deregistration under section 601AA of the Corporations Act is only available if all of the following are true:

  • All members (shareholders) agree to deregister the company
  • The company is not conducting business
  • The company's assets are worth less than $1,000
  • The company has no outstanding liabilities, including employee entitlements
  • The company is not a party to any current legal proceedings
  • The company has paid any fees or penalties owing under the Corporations Act

If any of those don't apply — most commonly outstanding debt or an unresolved dispute — voluntary deregistration isn't available yet, and you're better off getting advice before you do anything else. That's the exact split our eligibility check is built around.

The lodgement fee

ASIC charges a lodgement fee for Form 6010, which is indexed and increases on 1 July each year — it's $52 from 1 July 2026. Third-party ASIC agents typically charge on top of that fee for preparing your resolutions and handling the lodgement.

The steps

  1. Confirm eligibility against the six criteria above.
  2. Settle outstanding ATO obligations first — overdue lodgements or debt will surface later even if ASIC processes the deregistration, and it's far easier to sort out while the company still legally exists.
  3. Pass a members' resolution agreeing to deregister, and a directors' resolution authorising the application.
  4. Complete Form 6010 with your company details, ACN, and the resolution details.
  5. Lodge the form with ASIC and pay the fee — your application will not be processed without it.
  6. ASIC publishes a notice of the proposed deregistration; there's roughly a two-month window during which anyone (a creditor, for example) can object.
  7. If nobody objects, the company is deregistered and ASIC gazettes the outcome.

What happens after deregistration

Once deregistered, the company ceases to exist as a legal entity. Its bank accounts can no longer be operated, and any remaining property technically vests in the Commonwealth (ASIC) — another reason the assets-under-$1,000 rule matters. If you later discover you needed the company reinstated (an unpaid customer invoice turns up, for example), reinstatement is possible but adds cost and delay, so it pays to be certain before you lodge.

This is general information, not legal or tax advice — check ASIC's current guidance for the full eligibility criteria and fees before you lodge.