ASIC Class Order [CO 02/1432]

Administered by Department of the Treasury

Legislation au F2007B00303 Not in force Legislative Instrument

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ASIC Class Order [CO 02/1432]

Registered foreign companies – financial reporting requirements

This instrument has effect under s601CK(7) of the Corporations Act 2001.

This compilation was prepared on 22 May 2008 taking into account amendments up to [CO 07/505]. See the table at the end of this class order.

Prepared by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission.

Australian Securities and Investments Commission
Corporations Act 2001    Subsection 601CK(7)    Declaration and Revocation

Under subsection 601CK(7) of the Corporations Act 2001 (the Act) the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) hereby declares that subsections 601CK(1) to (6) of the Act inclusive do not apply in relation to a calendar year commencing on or after 1 January 2002 (Relevant Calendar Year) in respect of each foreign company in the class of foreign companies mentioned in the Schedule.

Schedule

A foreign company (the Company) which:

(a) is registered, or required to be registered, under Division 2 of Part 5B.2 of the Act; and

(b) is subject to provisions corresponding with, and no less strict than, the restrictions, limitations and prohibitions that section 113 of the Act imposes on proprietary companies, whether contained in the law of the place under which the Company was incorporated or in the Company’s constitution as required by that law; and

(c) is not required by the law of its place of origin to prepare any one or more of the following:

(i) a balance sheet at the end of its last financial year;

(ii) a profit and loss statement for its last financial year; or

(iii) a cash flow statement for its last financial year; and

(d) has not been a disclosing entity, borrower in relation to a debenture or guarantor of such a borrower at any time during the calendar year; and

(e) is not large in relation to its last financial year; and

(f) either:

(i) is not part of a group which is a large group in relation to its most recent financial year; or

(ii) was covered in consolidated financial statements which:

(A) cover the whole of that financial year; and

(B) were lodged with the ASIC by a company, registered foreign company, registered scheme or disclosing entity which controlled the Company for the whole of that financial year (or by two or more such entities which controlled the Company in procession for the whole of that financial year).

Interpretation

In this declaration:

“combined” means the result of aggregating the financial information of the entities in the group, being financial information in respect of each entity for that part of the Relevant Financial Year that each entity is part of the group, and making all such adjustments as would be required in preparing consolidated financial statements in accordance with accounting standards in force at the end of the Relevant Financial Year (even if the standard does not otherwise apply to the financial year of some or all of the entities concerned in respect of that, or any, financial year);

“entity” includes a company, any other corporation, a disclosing entity, a registered scheme, a partnership, an unincorporated body or a trust;

“group” means the Company together with all of the following:

(a) any entity which controlled the Company at any time during, or at the end of, the Relevant Financial Year and which was incorporated or formed in Australia or carries on business in Australia; and

(b) any other entity (“an Other Entity”) which is both:

(i) controlled at any time during, or at the end of, the Relevant Financial Year by any foreign company which at the same time controls the Company; and

(ii) incorporated or formed in Australia or carries on business in Australia during that part of the Relevant Financial Year when it is controlled by the same foreign company as controls the Company; and

(c) any entity which is controlled at any time during, or at the end of, the Relevant Financial Year by the Company (whether or not it carries on business or is formed or incorporated in Australia); and

(d) any entity which is controlled by an Other Entity during that part of the Relevant Financial Year when the Other Entity is controlled by the same foreign company as controls the Company (whether or not it carries on business or is formed or incorporated in Australia);

the Company is “large” if, for the Relevant Financial Year, at least 2 of the following paragraphs are satisfied:

(a) the consolidated revenue of the Company for the Relevant Financial Year is $25 million, or any other amount prescribed for the purposes of paragraph 45A(2)(a) of the Act, or more;

(b) the consolidated value of gross assets of the Company at the end of the Relevant Financial Year is $12.5 million, or any other amount prescribed for the purposes of paragraph 45A(2)(b) of the Act,or more

(c) the Company and the entities it controls (if any) have 50 or more employees (part-time employees being counted as an appropriate fraction of a full-time equivalent) at the end of the Relevant Financial Year;

“large group” means a group which, for the Relevant Financial Year, satisfies at least 2 of the following paragraphs:

(a) the combined revenue of the group for the Relevant Financial Year is $25 million, or any other amount prescribed for the purposes of paragraph 45A(2)(a) of the Act, or more;

(b) the combined value of gross assets of the group at the end of the Relevant Financial Year is $12.5 million, or any other amount prescribed for the purposes of paragraph 45A(2)(b) of the Act,or more

(c) the group has 50 or more employees (part-time employees being counted as an appropriate fraction of a full-time equivalent) at the end of the Relevant Financial Year;

“Relevant Financial Year”, in relation to the Relevant Calendar Year, is the “last financial year” of the Company for the purposes of subsection 601CK(1) of the Act, being the financial year in respect of which the Company would be required to report in relation to the Relevant Calendar Year but for the relief provided by this order;

“revenue” means the revenue calculated in accordance with accounting standards in force at the end of the Relevant Financial Year as if all of the entities were reporting entities (even if a standard does not otherwise apply to some or all of the entities concerned in respect of that, or any, financial year); and

“value of gross assets” means the value of gross assets calculated in accordance with accounting standards in force at the end of the Relevant Financial Year as if all of the entities were reporting entities (even if a standard does not otherwise apply to some or all of the entities concerned in respect of that, or any, financial year).

Revocation

And under subsection 601CK(7) of the Act ASIC hereby revokes Class Order [CO 01/1594].

 

 

Notes to ASIC Class Order [CO 02/1432]

Note 1

ASIC Class Order [CO 02/1432] (in force under s601CK(7) of the Corporations Act 2001) as shown in this compilation comprises that Class Order amended as indicated in the tables below.

Table of Instruments

Instrument number

Date of making or FRLI registration

Date of commencement

Application, saving or transitional provisions

[CO 02/1432]

24/12/2002 (see F2007B00303)

18/3/2003

 

[CO 07/505]

13/7/2007 (see F2007L02228)

17/7/2007

-

Table of Amendments

ad. = added or inserted     am. = amended     rep. = repealed     rs. = repealed and substituted

Provision affected

How affected

Interpretation......

am. [CO 07/505]

 

 

Overview

ASIC Class Order [CO 02/1432], enacted under the Corporations Act 2001, was introduced to address the financial reporting requirements for registered foreign companies in Australia. This legislative instrument, prepared by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), exempts certain foreign companies from specific financial reporting obligations, provided they meet particular criteria outlined in the order. The primary policy objective of this Class Order is to ensure that foreign companies operating in Australia meet appropriate financial disclosure standards, while also recognising the varying regulatory environments from which these companies originate. The order specifies conditions under which certain foreign companies are exempt from financial reporting requirements for a calendar year, particularly if they are not large entities and do not need to prepare certain financial statements as per their home country’s laws. The order revokes the previous Class Order [CO 01/1594], reflecting updated regulatory standards and requirements.

Scope and Application

ASIC Class Order [CO 02/1432] applies to foreign companies registered under Division 2 of Part 5B.2 of the Corporations Act 2001 that are subject to financial reporting requirements but meet specific criteria. These companies are exempt from certain financial reporting obligations under subsections 601CK(1) to (6) of the Act for calendar years commencing on or after 1 January 2002. The exemption applies to foreign companies that are not required to prepare a balance sheet, profit and loss statement, or cash flow statement by the law of their place of origin, have not been disclosing entities, borrowers in relation to a debenture, or guarantors of such a borrower at any time during the calendar year, and are not large in relation to their last financial year. Furthermore, the company must either not be part of a large group or be covered in consolidated financial statements lodged with the ASIC by a controlling entity. The geographic scope of this class order is national, as it applies to foreign companies operating in Australia and subject to Australian financial reporting standards. The order provides exemptions from certain financial reporting requirements, but does not exclude any specific industries or types of transactions. The scope and application of this class order may be extended or restricted through subordinate instruments, as indicated in the notes to the class order.

Key Provisions

The ASIC Class Order [CO 02/1432] pertains to registered foreign companies and their financial reporting requirements, which is established under subsection 601CK(7) of the Corporations Act 2001. This class order specifies which foreign companies are exempt from certain financial reporting obligations for a calendar year commencing on or after 1 January 2002, provided they meet specific criteria. Under sections 601CK(1) to (6) of the Act, certain financial reporting requirements do not apply to a foreign company if it is registered under Division 2 of Part 5B.2 of the Act, subject to corresponding restrictions and limitations, and not mandated by its place of origin to prepare financial statements such as a balance sheet, profit and loss statement, or cash flow statement (sections 1 to 6 of the Schedule). Additionally, the company must not have been a disclosing entity, borrower in relation to a debenture, or guarantor of such a borrower, and must not be large or part of a large group in relation to its most recent financial year (sections 7 and 8 of the Schedule). The obligations imposed by this class order require that the foreign company be registered under the specified division of the Act, adhere to provisions corresponding to those that apply to proprietary companies, and not be required to prepare the mentioned financial statements by the law of its place of origin. The company must also ensure it is not classified as a disclosing entity, borrower, or guarantor, and verify that it does not meet the criteria for being large or part of a large group. If the company is part of a group, it must be subject to consolidated financial statements that cover the entire financial year and are lodged with ASIC by a controlling entity. Breach of the financial reporting requirements under the Corporations Act 2001 can lead to civil and criminal consequences. The penalties for non-compliance may include fines and, in some cases, imprisonment. The specific penalties depend on the nature and severity of the breach. For example, a company that fails to lodge financial reports can face fines up to a maximum of $21,000 for a company officer and $10,500 for the company itself, as per section 1311 of the Act. Additionally, under section 1317E of the Act, officers of a corporation can be subject to criminal penalties, including imprisonment for up to five years, if they are found guilty of deliberately obstructing compliance with the financial reporting requirements. The exact penalties are detailed within the relevant sections of the Act and depend on the specific breach and jurisdiction.

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