Who this is for

• Thinking about it — weighing up whether to start, and what structure would even suit
• Decided, but not sure how — you know you want to trade as a sole trader, partnership or company, but haven't registered anything yet
• Ready to go — you know exactly what you want and just need the paperwork handled properly and quickly

Choosing a structure

There's no single "best" structure, it depends on how much you expect to earn, whether you're bringing on a business partner, how much personal liability protection you want, and your longer-term plans. A quick, plain-English starting point:

• Sole trader — simplest to set up, business income taxed as your own, and you're personally liable for business debts
• Partnership — two or more people running the business together, shared income and shared liability
• Company — a separate legal entity (a Pty Ltd), generally more protection from personal liability, but more ongoing compliance (ASIC annual review, company tax return)

Read more in our blog post about this topic.

This is general information, not a recommendation for your situation, the right call depends on specifics only a proper conversation will surface. See Common questions below, for how that conversation works.

What we help with, by structure

Sole traders

• ABN registration
• TFN registration, if needed
• Business name registration, if trading under a name other than your own
• GST registration, if your turnover requires it (or if you choose to register anyway)

Partnerships

• ABN and TFN registration for the partnership
• Business name registration
• Guidance on what needs to go in and draft you a partnership agreement

Companies

• Company registration with ASIC, including your ACN
• Company ABN, TFN and GST registration
• Business name registration
• Ongoing ASIC compliance once you're up and running, incl. annual review, and lodging changes like a new director or registered address

Why get this right from the start

A structure decision made in week one can still be affecting your tax bill five years later. Beyond the paperwork itself, this is also where the early-stage version of the advice you'd normally get from Business Tax Returns and Bookkeeping & BAS starts. So when the business is actually trading, there's already a plan in place rather than a scramble to catch up.

I'm not sure which structure I need, can you help me decide, or do I need to already know?

That's exactly what the first consultation is for. We talk through what you're planning, and the structure recommendation comes out of that conversation, you don't need to arrive with it already decided.

Do you actually lodge the company registration with ASIC, or just tell me what to do?

We lodge it. Company registration and ASIC changes are handled directly under our registered ASIC agent registation

What happens once the business is set up?

Ongoing tax returns can be covered by us, please check [Business Tax Returns]. We can also look after your day-to-day bookkeeping, BAS and payroll, please visit our [Bookkeeping & BAS] page. Nothing needs to be re-explained to a new provider, it stays with the same team.

Do you work with businesses outside Apollo Bay?