Closing the company with ASIC is only half the job — the ATO side has its own sequence, and getting it wrong is one of the most common reasons a deregistration application stalls.

Lodge a final company tax return

A company doesn't stop being a taxpayer just because it's stopped trading. You need to lodge a tax return covering the period up to the date trading actually ceased, reporting income, expenses, and any final profit or loss. Mark it as a final return so the ATO's systems reflect that no further returns are expected.

Cancel GST registration

If the company is registered for GST, lodge a final Business Activity Statement covering the last reporting period, then cancel the GST registration through the ATO or your registered tax agent. Do this before or alongside the final return, not after — an active GST registration with no lodgements coming in is exactly the kind of thing that triggers ATO follow-up.

Finalise PAYG withholding and STP

If the company had employees, finalise Single Touch Payroll (STP) reporting for the financial year, and make sure the final PAYG withholding amounts have actually been paid, not just reported. This is the step most likely to leave a debt on the company's account if it's skipped.

Settle the account before you apply for deregistration

Voluntary deregistration under the Corporations Act requires the company to have no outstanding liabilities — that includes ATO debt. Confirm the company's ATO account is at zero (or work out a resolved position with the ATO) before lodging Form 6010, not after. Trying to deregister with tax debt outstanding is one of the most common reasons an otherwise-eligible closure gets delayed.

Keep the paperwork

Once everything is lodged and paid, keep copies of the final return, final BAS, and any ATO correspondence confirming the account is clear — see our guide on how long to keep business records after closing for the specifics.

This is general information, not tax advice — a registered tax agent should confirm your company's specific final-return and GST obligations before you lodge anything.