Structure of Business Entities

A person or group can do business in Australia in a number of different forms, such as as a sole trader, partnership, trust, joint venture, or corporation.

Foreign businesses that want to conduct business in Australia can either register as a foreign company with a branch office there or form a subsidiary company. The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) allows for the incorporation of businesses, which are given an Australian Company Number (ACN).

Companies in Australia can be :

• Unlimited with share capital,
• Limited by shares,
• Limited by guarantee, or
• No liability companies (for companies with mining or mining-related objects).

An Australian company limited by shares, which can be either a proprietary or public corporation, is the most typical type of corporate entity.

Public firms may be listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) and, under certain restrictions, may also raise money through the crowdsourced funding (CSF) system.