ASIC Corporate Key

The Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC) now issue every Australian registered company with a "corporate key". It is similar to the PIN on your bank account.

This "Corporate Key" is in addition to the Australian Company Number (ACN) issued when the company is registered.

The "Corporate Key" will be needed when:

• Registering for access to lodge forms online
• Lodging paper versions of Forms 362, 370, 484, 486

Getting a Corporate Key

Every company receives a new Corporate Key when it is registered.

Previously, a new corporate key was issued every year as part of the company statement pack, however ASIC has changed the way Corporate Keys are handled.

For the first Annual Review of a company issued after 26th May 2008, the Corporate Key given will stay with your company until you ask

• Your current ASIC Agent ceases to act as Agent for your company

In this event, the current Corporate Key is cancelled and a new one will not be issued either:

• Until the next Annual Review; or
• A new Agent or a Director asks for or applies online for a new one.

ASIC post Corporate Keys to the Registered Office address for the company.

Apply Online for a Corporate Key

Officers of the company or the ASIC Registered Agent can apply Online for a Corporate Key www.asic.gov.au

If you cannot apply online phone ASIC's Client Contact Centre Enquiry Line on 1300 300 630, make sure you have the Australian Company Number (ACN) handy when your ring.

Registered Agents and corporate keys

If your company has an ASIC Registered Agent (your Accountant or Corporate Registry Service) they will receive the company's corporate key (if they act as the Registered Office Address) and have an obligation to keep client's corporate keys confidential.

Registered Agents lodging electronic documents through EDGE do not require the Corporate Key on electronically submitted documents.

Benefits of the Corporate Key

A corporate key protects a company from unauthorised people lodging false information about the company on ASIC's corporate database.

Other reasons a Corporate Key might change

• If a requested Corporate Key is returned to ASIC as “return to sender” mail; or
• If a company is deregistered and then reinstated.

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