This is Information Sheet 131 (INFO 131). It is for companies limited by guarantee and explains:
Some of the obligations vary depending on whether the company is a ‘small company limited by guarantee’ or a ‘company limited by guarantee’, as defined in the Corporations Act 2001 (Corporations Act).
A company is a ‘small company limited by guarantee’ in a particular financial year if:
Commonwealth companies or subsidiaries, subsidiaries of Commonwealth authorities, transferring financial institutions, building and credit societies, and credit unions are excluded from some of these obligations. For full details, see section 45B of the Corporations Act.
Companies limited by guarantee have a three-tier reporting framework: see Table 1. These obligations apply to financial years ending on and after 30 June 2010.
Table 1 The three-tier reporting framework
Type of company
Small company limited by guarantee (as defined in section 45B)
Unless directed by a member or ASIC, the company does not have to:
Company limited by guarantee with annual (or consolidated) revenue of less than $1 million
Company limited by guarantee with annual (or consolidated) revenue of $1 million or more
The company must:
A review of a financial report provides a lower level of assurance than an audit, but may result in reduced costs for companies. The review need not be undertaken by a registered company auditor.
However, the reviewer must be a member of and hold a practising certificate issued by:
A small company limited by guarantee (Tier 1) or a Tier 2 company limited by guarantee whose directors believe that the financial reports of the company will be reviewed instead of audited does not need to appoint a registered company auditor.
All other companies limited by guarantee must comply with the requirement to appoint an auditor or fill any auditor vacancy.
The auditor of a small company limited by guarantee (Tier 1) does not need ASIC consent to resign.
The auditor must resign by giving the company a written notice of resignation.A suggested statement, on the auditor's letterhead could contain the following:
I am resigning from the office of company auditor for [insert company name and ACN], a small company limited by guarantee as defined in s45B of the Corporations Act 2001. I am therefore able to resign without obtaining ASIC consent
All other companies limited by guarantee that have appointed a registered company auditor must comply with the auditor resignation or removal obligations: see Regulatory Guide 26 Resignation, removal and replacement of auditors (RG 26), Information Sheet 65 Resignation of an auditor of a public company (INFO 65) and Information Sheet 62 Removal of an auditor of a company (INFO 62).
A company limited by guarantee and registered on or after 28 June 2010 cannot pay dividends to its members. Companies limited by guarantee registered before this date are grandfathered and can pay dividends.
Members wishing to obtain a hard copy or an electronic copy of the company’s latest annual report can choose to obtain this from the company free of charge, and the company limited by guarantee must comply with this request.
The choice made by a member to either receive a hard copy or an electronic copy stands for subsequent financial years until the member changes their selection. They do not need to repeat their request for a copy of the report each year.
Contact ASIC on 1300 300 630.
Please note that this information sheet is a summary giving you basic information about a particular topic. It does not cover the whole of the relevant law regarding that topic, and it is not a substitute for professional advice. We encourage you to seek your own professional advice to find out how the applicable laws apply to you, as it is your responsibility to determine your obligations.
You should also note that because this information sheet avoids legal language wherever possible, it might include some generalisations about the application of the law. Some provisions of the law referred to have exceptions or important qualifications. In most cases, your particular circumstances must be taken into account when determining how the law applies to you.
Information sheets provide concise guidance on a specific process or compliance issue or an overview of detailed guidance.
This information sheet was reissued in June 2015.
