Register a Company — Global Entity Registration & Management | EntityFlo

Register a Company — Global Entity Registration & Management | EntityFlo

Registering a company is the easy part. A few forms, a filing fee, and you're incorporated. What most guides don't tell you is what comes next — the compliance calendar, annual reviews, beneficial ownership registers, director obligations, and the growing mountain of regulatory requirements that starts the moment your company number is issued.

This hub covers how to register a company in six major jurisdictions, and what you need to manage once you're registered.

Every jurisdiction that lets you register a company also has ongoing obligations attached to that registration. Miss them and you face fines, deregistration, or director liability. The list is longer than most founders expect:

Annual review or confirmation statements — required in almost every jurisdiction Beneficial ownership registers — Australia, UK, Canada, Ireland, and others now require disclosure of ultimate beneficial owners Director obligations — fiduciary duties, financial reporting, changes of address Tax registration — separate from company registration in most jurisdictions (GST/VAT, payroll tax, income tax) Licences and permits — industry specific, jurisdiction specific, and frequently overlooked

EntityFlo is purpose built for what comes after. If you're managing multiple entities across jurisdictions, Entity 360 gives you a single system of record — compliance deadlines, director registers, beneficial ownership, and registry sync in one dashboard.

Regulator: ASIC (Australian Securities and Investments Commission) Structure: Proprietary Limited Company (Pty Ltd) Cost: AUD $538 Timeframe: Same day online Key obligation: ASIC annual review, beneficial ownership register

Australia uses a federal registration system. A Pty Ltd is the standard structure for private companies. EntityFlo is an ASIC Digital Service Provider (DSP) — meaning your entity data syncs directly with ASIC in real time.

→ Full guide: Register a Company in Australia

Regulator: NZ Companies Office Structure: Limited Company Cost: NZD $115 Timeframe: Same day Key obligation: Annual return, director with NZ or AU address required

New Zealand has one of the fastest company registration systems in the world. EntityFlo integrates natively with the NZ Companies Office for live entity sync and compliance tracking.

→ Full guide: Register a Company in New Zealand

Regulator: Companies House Structure: Private Limited Company (Ltd) Cost: £50 online Timeframe: 24 hours Key obligation: Annual confirmation statement, PSC register, HMRC Corporation Tax registration

The UK has a well developed digital registration system via Companies House. Post registration, directors must maintain a Register of Persons with Significant Control (PSC) and file annual confirmation statements.

→ Full guide: Register a Company in the UK

Regulator: State level Secretary of State (Delaware most common for corporations) Structure: LLC, C Corp, or S Corp Cost: From $90 (Delaware) Timeframe: 1 day (Delaware expedited) Key obligation: Registered agent in each state, EIN from IRS, foreign qualification if operating in multiple states

The US doesn't have a single federal company register. Most businesses incorporate in Delaware — favoured for its legal protections and business friendly courts — and then register as a "foreign corporation" in the states where they actually operate.

→ Full guide: Register a Company in the USA

Regulator: Corporations Canada (federal) or provincial Structure: Corporation under CBCA (Canadian Business Corporations Act) Cost: ~CAD $200 (federal online) Timeframe: 1–5 business days Key obligation: Annual return, 25% Canadian resident directors (federal), registered office

Canada gives you a choice: incorporate federally (right to operate in all provinces) or provincially. Federal is more common for companies intending to operate nationally or internationally.

→ Full guide: Register a Company in Canada

Regulator: Companies Registration Office (CRO — cro.ie) Structure: Private Limited Company (LTD) Cost: €50 online Timeframe: 5–10 working days Key obligation: Annual return to CRO, one EEA resident director or Section 137 bond, mandatory company secretary

Ireland is a popular EU gateway for international businesses — particularly post Brexit. The 12.5% corporation tax rate and English speaking legal system make it attractive for companies wanting EU market access.

→ Full guide: Register a Company in Ireland

Jurisdiction Regulator Cost Timeframe Local Director? Australia ASIC AUD $538 Same day 1 AU resident director New Zealand NZ Companies Office NZD $115 Same day 1 NZ or AU resident United Kingdom Companies House £50 24 hours None required United States State Secretary of State From $90 1 day None (Delaware) Canada Corporations Canada ~CAD $200 1–5 days 25% must be Canadian Ireland CRO €50 5–10 days 1 EEA resident or bond

Registration is day one. Here's what the first 90 days typically looks like across most jurisdictions:

Week 1–2 Receive company number / ACN / registration certificate Set up a registered office address Appoint directors and secretary (where required) Issue shares

Month 1 Register for tax (GST, VAT, Corporation Tax — jurisdiction dependent) Open a business bank account Register for payroll if hiring staff Set up your beneficial ownership / UBO register

Month 2–3 Ensure all directors understand their legal obligations Set compliance calendar for annual reviews and tax lodgements Review licence and permit requirements for your industry

Miss any of these and the penalties can be severe — particularly around beneficial ownership disclosure, which carries criminal liability in Australia, the UK, and Ireland.

Managing Multiple Entities Across Jurisdictions

If you're registering in multiple jurisdictions — or already managing a group of companies — spreadsheets don't scale. One missed ASIC annual review, one unfiled confirmation statement, one director change not updated in the register — and you're exposed.

EntityFlo's multi jurisdiction platform gives CFOs, company secretaries, and general counsel a single system of record for every entity in the group:

Entity 360 — complete view of every entity, every obligation Registry Sync — live connection to ASIC, NZ Companies Office, and more Compliance Calendar — automated deadlines, no manual tracking Beneficial Ownership Register — built in UBO tracking for every jurisdiction Director & Officer Register — changes tracked in real time

Can I register a company in multiple countries at once? Not via a single application — each jurisdiction has its own registration process and regulator. You'll register separately in each country. EntityFlo then lets you manage all of those entities from one dashboard.

Do I need a local address to register a company? In most jurisdictions, yes. You'll need a registered office address in the country of incorporation. This can be a service address in many cases — you don't need a physical office.

Do I need a local director? Requirements vary. Australia requires at least one Australian resident director. New Zealand requires one director with an Australian or NZ address. Ireland requires one EEA resident director (or a bond). The UK and Delaware (US) have no local director requirement. Canada (federal) requires 25% Canadian resident directors.

How long does company registration take? Fastest: Australia and New Zealand — same day. UK — 24 hours. Delaware — 1 day (expedited). Canada — 1–5 days. Ireland — 5–10 working days.

What ongoing obligations do I have after registering? Annual returns, financial statements, beneficial ownership disclosure, director registers, tax registrations, and licence renewals — all jurisdiction specific. EntityFlo's compliance calendar automates these across your entire entity group.

What is EntityFlo and how does it help? EntityFlo is entity management software for CFOs, company secretaries, and general counsel managing multiple entities. It syncs with ASIC and other registries, tracks compliance obligations, manages beneficial ownership registers, and gives you a single source of truth for your entire corporate group. Start a free trial.

Is EntityFlo an ASIC Digital Service Provider? Yes. EntityFlo is ASIC DSP licensed, giving it direct integration with ASIC's systems. Changes to Australian company details lodge directly with ASIC — no paper forms, no manual submission.