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Corporations (Review Fees) Amendment (Technical Amendments)

Current status

This bill became law on Mar 13th, 2026.

Policy area

Budget, tax & economy

What does this bill do?

The Act retrospectively validates certain ASICThe Australian Securities and Investments Commission, the corporate regulator that collects the review fees affected by this Act. review fees charged from 1 July 2011 until 11 March 2025, including the indexationA mechanism for adjusting fee amounts over time. This Act validates the way indexation was applied to specified ASIC review fees over the affected period. applied to those fees.

Why was it introduced?

The bill was introduced because ASICThe Australian Securities and Investments Commission, the corporate regulator that collects the review fees affected by this Act. identified a technical error in the way indexationA mechanism for adjusting fee amounts over time. This Act validates the way indexation was applied to specified ASIC review fees over the affected period. had been applied to some company review fees since 2011. The government had already amended the regulations prospectively in March 2025, and this Act was used to validate past fees so ASICThe Australian Securities and Investments Commission, the corporate regulator that collects the review fees affected by this Act. was authorised to collect them in line with the long-standing fee structure.

Broader context

The bill sits in a narrow area of ASICThe Australian Securities and Investments Commission, the corporate regulator that collects the review fees affected by this Act. business registry fees. Official material presents it as a technical validation after an indexationA mechanism for adjusting fee amounts over time. This Act validates the way indexation was applied to specified ASIC review fees over the affected period. error, while debate focused on whether Parliament should retrospectively validate years of fees and how much scrutiny the error required.

Key criticism

The main criticism in the collected parliamentary material was not that the bill changed current fees, but that it retrospectively validated years of fees after an official error. Coalition speakers argued that retrospective validationA law that confirms past actions or charges are legally valid. Here, it validates specified ASIC review fees charged from 1 July 2011 until 11 March 2025. deserved full scrutiny and raised questions about ASICThe Australian Securities and Investments Commission, the corporate regulator that collects the review fees affected by this Act. and government accountability. The Greens supported the technical fix but used a second reading amendmentA proposed change to the motion that a bill be read a second time. It usually records a political position or criticism rather than directly changing the bill text. to argue the bill fell short of broader corporate tax and price-gouging reform.

Who supported it?

Hon Dr Daniel Mulino MP introduced this bill. It passed on the voices.

Introduced in House 09 Oct 2025
Passed House 03 Feb 2026
Passed Senate 05 Mar 2026
Became law 13 Mar 2026

Did it become law?

Yes

Became law 13 Mar 2026

Final passage

Passed without a counted vote

Members called out ‘aye’ or ‘no’ — no individual votes were recorded.

Passage speed

155 days

From introduction to the latest recorded parliamentary step

Official record

View on APH

Parliament of Australia bill page

Meaning

What does this bill do?

  1. The Act retrospectively validates certain ASICThe Australian Securities and Investments Commission, the corporate regulator that collects the review fees affected by this Act. review fees charged from 1 July 2011 until 11 March 2025, including the indexationA mechanism for adjusting fee amounts over time. This Act validates the way indexation was applied to specified ASIC review fees over the affected period. applied to those fees.

  2. The affected fees are late fees, 10-year upfront fees and special purpose company review fees collected under the Corporations (Review Fees) Regulations 2003.

  3. The problem was a technical indexationA mechanism for adjusting fee amounts over time. This Act validates the way indexation was applied to specified ASIC review fees over the affected period. error. The explanatory memorandum says ASICThe Australian Securities and Investments Commission, the corporate regulator that collects the review fees affected by this Act. applied an indexationA mechanism for adjusting fee amounts over time. This Act validates the way indexation was applied to specified ASIC review fees over the affected period. method that produced incorrect fee amounts, while the government says the intended policy was the long-standing fee structure ASICThe Australian Securities and Investments Commission, the corporate regulator that collects the review fees affected by this Act. had used since 2011.

  4. The government said the Act would not change the fees currently charged to users of ASICThe Australian Securities and Investments Commission, the corporate regulator that collects the review fees affected by this Act. business registers and would have no compliance cost impact.

  5. The Act commenced the day after Royal Assent. It received assent on 13 March 2026, so the collected commencement date is 14 March 2026.

Show source excerpts
  1. The Bill ensures ASIC is authorised to charge the amounts of review fees that it charged from 1 July 2011 until 11 March 2025.
    Corporations (Review Fees) Amendment (Technical Amendments) explanatory memorandum
  2. The affected fees are late fees, 10 ‑year upfront fees and special purpose company review fees collected under the Review Fees Regulations.
    Corporations (Review Fees) Amendment (Technical Amendments) explanatory memorandum
  3. The indexation provisions applied for all review fees, which did not reflect the intended policy outcome at the time or now. As a result, ASIC applied an indexation methodology which resulted in incorrect amounts of certain review fees being charged.
    Corporations (Review Fees) Amendment (Technical Amendments) explanatory memorandum
  4. The passage of this bill will have no impact on the fees being charged to users of the ASIC business registers.
    Minister's second reading speech
  5. The day after this Act receives the Royal Assent.
    Corporations (Review Fees) Amendment (Technical Amendments) as-passed bill text

Context

Broader context for this bill

The bill sits in a narrow area of ASICThe Australian Securities and Investments Commission, the corporate regulator that collects the review fees affected by this Act. business registry fees. Official material presents it as a technical validation after an indexationA mechanism for adjusting fee amounts over time. This Act validates the way indexation was applied to specified ASIC review fees over the affected period. error, while debate focused on whether Parliament should retrospectively validate years of fees and how much scrutiny the error required.

  1. 01 July 2011

    Relevant 2011 amending regulations commenced

    The explanatory memorandum says the validation period begins with the 2011 amending regulations, which affected review-fee indexationA mechanism for adjusting fee amounts over time. This Act validates the way indexation was applied to specified ASIC review fees over the affected period..

    Explanatory memorandum ↗
  2. 12 Mar 2025

    Prospective fee fix took effect

    The explanatory memorandum says 2025 amending regulations addressed the current fee amounts from March 2025.

    Explanatory memorandum ↗
  3. 30 Oct 2025

    Bill referred for Senate committee scrutiny

    The APH bill page notes referral to the Senate Economics Legislation Committee, with a report date recorded for 29 January 2026.

    APH bill page notes ↗
  4. 13 Mar 2026

    Royal Assent

    The bill received Royal Assent and became Act No. 6 of 2026, with commencement the following day.

    Federal Register of Legislation metadata in local source bundle ↗

Legislative route

How did it move through Parliament?

House Senate
Introduced 09 Oct 2025

The bill was formally presented to the chamber and read a first time, which starts its parliamentary journey.

Introduced and read a first time

Second reading opened 09 Oct 2025

A minister or sponsoring member moved the second reading, opening the main debate on the bill's purpose and principles.

Second reading moved

Second reading debate 29 Oct 2025

The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.

Sent to Federation Chamber for debate 29 Oct 2025

The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.

Referred to Federation Chamber

Economics review 30 Oct 2025

The bill was referred to the Senate Economics Legislation Committee on 30 October 2025. The local source bundle records the referral and report date but does not include the committee report text.

Referred to committee

APH bill page notes
Returned to House for further consideration 27 Nov 2025

The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.

Second reading debate 03 Feb 2026

The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.

House second reading agreed 03 Feb 2026

The chamber agreed to the bill at second reading, meaning it accepted the bill in principle and allowed it to continue.

Second reading agreed to

House third reading agreed 03 Feb 2026

The chamber agreed to the bill at third reading, which completed passage through that chamber.

Third reading agreed to

Introduced 05 Feb 2026

The bill was formally presented to the chamber and read a first time, which starts its parliamentary journey.

Introduced and read a first time

Second reading opened 05 Feb 2026

A minister or sponsoring member moved the second reading, opening the main debate on the bill's purpose and principles.

Second reading moved

Second reading debate 05 Mar 2026

The bill reached this recorded parliamentary step.

Senate second reading agreed 05 Mar 2026

The chamber agreed to the bill at second reading, meaning it accepted the bill in principle and allowed it to continue.

Second reading agreed to

Senate third reading agreed 05 Mar 2026

The chamber agreed to the bill at third reading, which completed passage through that chamber.

Third reading agreed to

Passed both houses 05 Mar 2026

Both houses passed the bill in the same form, completing parliamentary passage.

Finally passed both Houses

Assent 13 Mar 2026

The Governor-General gave Royal Assent, turning the bill into an Act.

Key criticism

The main case against this bill

The main criticism in the collected parliamentary material was not that the bill changed current fees, but that it retrospectively validated years of fees after an official error. Coalition speakers argued that retrospective validationA law that confirms past actions or charges are legally valid. Here, it validates specified ASIC review fees charged from 1 July 2011 until 11 March 2025. deserved full scrutiny and raised questions about ASICThe Australian Securities and Investments Commission, the corporate regulator that collects the review fees affected by this Act. and government accountability. The Greens supported the technical fix but used a second reading amendmentA proposed change to the motion that a bill be read a second time. It usually records a political position or criticism rather than directly changing the bill text. to argue the bill fell short of broader corporate tax and price-gouging reform.

This reflects the local parliamentary speeches and amendment text available in the source bundle; no independent committee-report text was included locally.

Retrospective validation

Pat Conaghan argued that validating fees after the fact raised rule-of-law and accountability concerns, and said the bill needed Senate committee scrutiny before the Coalition could support it fully.

Raised by Pat Conaghan, National Party Source ↗

Broader corporate tax concerns

Elizabeth Watson-Brown supported the bill but argued it was only a technical fix and moved an amendment calling for an excessive corporate profits tax and an economy-wide price-gouging ban.

Raised by Elizabeth Watson-Brown, Australian Greens Source ↗

Further sources

aph.gov.au ↗ parlinfo.aph.gov.au ↗

Votes

Recorded votes

How the bill itself passed

The bill passed both chambers on the voices, so there is no list of individual Aye and No votes for final passage.

Passed

House passed the bill

House agreed to the bill's third reading on the voices, so there is no list of individual Aye and No votes for final passage in that chamber.

03 Feb 2026

Passed on the voices

In a voice vote, members call out Aye or No and the presiding officer judges which side has it. Individual names are only recorded if a formal division is called.

Passed

Senate passed the bill

Senate agreed to the bill's third reading on the voices, so there is no list of individual Aye and No votes for final passage in that chamber.

05 Mar 2026

Passed on the voices

In a voice vote, members call out Aye or No and the presiding officer judges which side has it. Individual names are only recorded if a formal division is called.

Parliamentary debate

Who spoke, and what they said

Start here — lead voices

Sponsor speech Supports

Daniel Mulino

Australian Labor Party • MP 09 Oct 2025

Mulino supports the bill as an administrative validation measure, saying it fixes a technical indexationA mechanism for adjusting fee amounts over time. This Act validates the way indexation was applied to specified ASIC review fees over the affected period. error and authorises ASICThe Australian Securities and Investments Commission, the corporate regulator that collects the review fees affected by this Act. to collect the relevant review fees in line with the long-standing approach.

Read in Hansard ↗
Lead supporting voice Supports

Elizabeth Watson-Brown

Australian Greens • MP 03 Feb 2026

Watson-Brown says the Greens support the bill because it fixes a technical inconsistency, while moving a second reading amendmentA proposed change to the motion that a bill be read a second time. It usually records a political position or criticism rather than directly changing the bill text. that criticises the broader corporate tax system and calls for an excessive profits tax and wider price-gouging ban.

Read in Hansard ↗
Lead voice Supports

Ed Husic

Australian Labor Party • MP 03 Feb 2026

Husic supports the bill, presenting it as a technical integrity measure that validates ASICThe Australian Securities and Investments Commission, the corporate regulator that collects the review fees affected by this Act. fees without introducing new charges or increasing what people pay.

Read in Hansard ↗
Lead voice Supports

Tim Ayres

Australian Labor Party • Senator 05 Feb 2026

Ayres moves the bill in the Senate by incorporating the second reading speech.

Read in Hansard ↗

All speeches by bloc

Labor

3 speakers · 4 contributions · 3 support

  1. Ed Husic ★ Husic supports the bill, presenting it as a technical integrity measure that validates ASICThe Australian Securities and Investments Commission, the corporate regulator that collects the review fees affected by this Act. fees without introducing new charges or increasing what people pay.
    “The bill doesn't introduce new changes and it doesn't increase what Australians pay. It simply corrects a technical error in the indexation methodology introduced back in 2011.”

    Australian Labor Party • MP • 03 Feb 2026

    Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
  2. Tim Ayres ★ Ayres moves the bill in the Senate by incorporating the second reading speech.
    “CORPORATIONS (REVIEW FEES) AMENDMENT (TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS) BILL 2025 This Bill validates certain fees charged by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) between 1 July 2011 and 11 March 2025, including the indexation applied to those fees.”

    Australian Labor Party • Senator • 05 Feb 2026

    Read the full speech in Hansard ↗
  3. Daniel Mulino ★ 2 contributions Mulino supports the bill as an administrative validation measure, saying it fixes a technical indexationA mechanism for adjusting fee amounts over time. This Act validates the way indexation was applied to specified ASIC review fees over the affected period. error and authorises ASICThe Australian Securities and Investments Commission, the corporate regulator that collects the review fees affected by this Act. to collect the relevant review fees in line with the long-standing approach.

    Hansard records 2 separate contributions by Daniel Mulino on this bill. They are grouped here so the speaker is listed once.

    Minister's second reading speech Australian Labor Party • MP • 09 Oct 2025

    Mulino supports the bill as an administrative validation measure, saying it fixes a technical indexationA mechanism for adjusting fee amounts over time. This Act validates the way indexation was applied to specified ASIC review fees over the affected period. error and authorises ASICThe Australian Securities and Investments Commission, the corporate regulator that collects the review fees affected by this Act. to collect the relevant review fees in line with the long-standing approach.

    “This bill validates certain fees charged by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) between 1 July 2011 and 11 March 2025, including the indexation applied to those fees.”
    Read this contribution in Hansard ↗

    Second reading speech Australian Labor Party • MP • 03 Feb 2026

    Mulino closes debate in support of the bill and rejects Watson-Brown’s amendment, saying the bill preserves the existing company review feeA fee payable in relation to review dates for certain entities on ASIC registers, commonly linked to an entity’s registration anniversary. structure and avoids disruption for users of ASICThe Australian Securities and Investments Commission, the corporate regulator that collects the review fees affected by this Act. business registers.

    “The government has acted swiftly to ensure that the current fee structure does not need to change and that there will be no disruption to businesses and individuals who engage with the ASIC business registers.”
    Read this contribution in Hansard ↗

Coalition

1 speaker · 1 mixed

  1. Pat Conaghan Conaghan gives conditional support, saying the Coalition would not oppose the bill at that stage but wanted Senate committee scrutiny because it retrospectively validates years of fees he described as unlawfully collected.
    “We will not oppose the bill today, but we also can't support it until it receives proper scrutiny.”

    National Party • MP • 29 Oct 2025

    Read the full speech in Hansard ↗

Greens

1 speaker · 1 support

  1. Elizabeth Watson-Brown ★ Watson-Brown says the Greens support the bill because it fixes a technical inconsistency, while moving a second reading amendmentA proposed change to the motion that a bill be read a second time. It usually records a political position or criticism rather than directly changing the bill text. that criticises the broader corporate tax system and calls for an excessive profits tax and wider price-gouging ban.
    “The Greens will be supporting the Corporations (Review Fees) Amendment (Technical Amendments) Bill 2025 as it fixes a technical inconsistency to ensure certain fees collected by ASIC are valid.”

    Australian Greens • MP • 03 Feb 2026

    Read the full speech in Hansard ↗

Record

Full record

Full chat