Questions about Australian directors.

Yes. Section 201A of the Corporations Act requires every proprietary company to have at least one director who ordinarily resides in Australia. Public companies need at least two. The requirement applies for as long as the company exists, not only at incorporation, and it applies even when the company is wholly owned overseas.

The company falls short of section 201A and is in breach of the Corporations Act until a new resident director is appointed. Changes to directors must be notified to ASIC within 28 days. If your local director is leaving, it's worth arranging a replacement before the gap opens.

"Nominee director" is a common name for a director provided by a service like mine, but there's no lesser legal category. A nominee director carries the same duties and personal liability as any other director, which is why I assess the risk before I accept an appointment.

Yes. Every director of an Australian company needs a Director ID from Australian Business Registry Services (ABRS). At the moment, a new director must have applied for one before they're appointed.

That changes from 1 July 2027, when companies must give ASIC their directors' IDs on registration, on every new appointment and at each annual review. In practice, a director will need the ID issued and in hand before appointment, not just applied for. I already hold mine, so my appointment isn't held up.

Yes. If your company also has directors who live overseas, each of them needs a Director ID too. Directors without Australian identity documents generally can't apply online. They apply to ABRS on a paper form, with certified copies of identity documents such as a passport and a national ID or driver's licence, certified by a notary public or an Australian embassy or consulate.

Paper applications can take around four weeks to process, so start early, especially once IDs must be in hand from July 2027.

The public officer is the company's contact person with the ATO and is responsible for tax matters on the company's behalf. Companies carrying on business in Australia must appoint one who ordinarily lives here.

Identity verification for the company and the people who own and control it, a clear picture of the business through the risk call, and regular financial information once I'm appointed. A director has to be able to see the company's position, including its solvency, to meet their duties.

A fixed annual fee, quoted in writing after the risk call. The fee depends on the size, activity and risk of the company, so I'd rather understand it first than give you a number that doesn't fit.

No. I fill the director and public officer roles only. Incorporation, company secretarial, legal and tax work stay with the advisers you already have.