It's a government charge
The $636 is ASIC's fee for registering a company in Australia. It is not an easySMSF fee — it is payable to the regulator wherever a company is registered, by any provider.
Paid once, at registration
It applies when the trustee company is registered during setup. easySMSF prepares the company documents and lodges the ASIC application as your appointed agent.
Included in the setup price
The $1,699 corporate trustee setup price is inclusive of the $636 ASIC company registration fee. There is no separate government invoice to pay at setup.
Timeline
When the fee is paid — and when it isn't
- 01
You choose your trustee structure
During setup you pick individual trustees or a corporate trustee. Only the corporate path involves a company, so only that path involves the ASIC registration fee.
- 02
We prepare and lodge the application
We prepare the company constitution, director consents and related documents, and lodge the ASIC company application on your behalf as your appointed agent. You are not left to deal with the ASIC forms yourself.
- 03
The company is registered — fee already covered
When ASIC registers the company, the $636 government fee is covered inside your fixed corporate trustee setup price. Nothing is payable to ASIC separately at this point.
- 04
From year two, ASIC bills its annual review fee directly
Registered companies pay ASIC an annual review fee. This is a separate, ongoing government charge collected by ASIC — a special-purpose super trustee company has a lower annual review rate than a standard company. We flag it here because a transparent comparison includes it.
Inside the price
What the corporate setup price includes
One fixed price covers the professional work and the government company registration fee — so the number you see is the number you pay.
Corporate trustee setup
- easySMSF professional workTrust deed, company documents, applications prepared and lodged as your agent, bank and broker account setup
- Included
- ASIC company registration fee$636 government charge, payable when the trustee company is registered
- Included
- Separate ASIC invoice at setupNothing further payable to ASIC when you set up through easySMSF
- None
Includes the $636 ASIC company registration fee.
Individual trustees
With individual trustees, no company is registered — the trustees act personally as trustees of the fund. That means:
- No $636 ASIC company registration fee, because no company is involved
- No ASIC annual company review fee in later years
- A fixed professional setup fee with the same documentation and lodgement work as your agent
Individual and corporate structures have different legal and estate-planning trade-offs — see the corporate trustee guide for the factual comparison.
At cost, not ours
The other government charges to know about
ATO supervisory levy — $259 per year
Every SMSF pays this annual regulator levy, regardless of administrator or balance. It is a government charge passed on at cost.
ASIC annual review fee — from year two
A registered trustee company pays ASIC an annual review fee each year. It is billed by ASIC, separate from setup, and a special-purpose super trustee company has a lower rate than a standard company.
Compare like for like
How to compare setup prices transparently
Wherever a trustee company is registered, the government registration fee applies — the difference between providers is whether it is disclosed and included in the quoted price, or left out of the picture.
- Ask whether the quoted setup price includes the ASIC company registration fee
- Ask whether the company's annual ASIC review fee is disclosed, and roughly what it runs
- Check whether the ongoing fee includes the independent audit or bills it separately
- Confirm any regulator levy is passed on at cost rather than marked up
The easySMSF approach
We itemise every cost, including the government charges that are not ours. The corporate trustee setup price is inclusive of the $636 ASIC company registration fee — shown, not buried — and ongoing administration is one fixed monthly fee with the independent audit included.
That way the comparison is on total, honest cost — not on a headline price with the regulator's fee hiding behind it.
ASIC fee — frequently asked questions
What is the $636 ASIC company registration fee?
It is the government fee ASIC charges to register a company in Australia. If your SMSF uses a corporate trustee structure, a company must be registered to act as the fund's trustee, so this fee applies. easySMSF prepares the company documents and lodges the ASIC application on your behalf as your appointed agent.
When is the $636 fee paid?
Once, when the trustee company is registered during your SMSF setup. With easySMSF there is nothing to pay to ASIC separately: the fee is covered inside the $1,699 corporate trustee setup price, and we lodge the application as your agent.
Is the $636 fee included in the $1,699 setup price, or added on top?
It is included. The $1,699 corporate trustee setup price covers both the professional work — the trust deed, company documents and applications lodged as your agent — and the $636 ASIC company registration fee. There is no separate government invoice to pay at setup.
Do I pay the $636 fee if I choose individual trustees?
No. Individual trustees pay no company registration fee because no company is involved — individual-trustee setup is a fixed $899 professional fee. You can also register a company yourself directly with ASIC if you later want a corporate structure.
What other government charges should I budget for?
Two ongoing government charges apply at cost and are not easySMSF fees. Every SMSF pays the ATO's $259 annual supervisory levy. A corporate trustee company also pays ASIC's annual review fee, billed by ASIC from the second year — a special-purpose super trustee company has a lower annual review rate than a standard company.
Why do some providers advertise 'free' SMSF setup?
Wherever a trustee company is registered, the government registration fee applies regardless of provider. Some providers advertise a free or low setup price and leave the ASIC company fee out of the picture. easySMSF takes the opposite approach: the fee is shown and included in the quoted corporate price, so you can compare total cost like for like.
Can I register the trustee company myself?
Yes — you can apply directly with ASIC yourself and pay the government fee to ASIC. If easySMSF handles the company registration as part of your setup, the fee is already included in the corporate trustee price rather than payable separately.
General information only — it doesn't take your objectives or situation into account and isn't financial, tax or investment advice. ASIC and ATO fee amounts are current government charges and can change; government sources prevail.
Know exactly what you're paying.
Every setup and administration cost itemised — including the $636 ASIC company registration fee, included in the corporate trustee price.