Nikolai Timofejev
15 years in FinTech and payments. Maps your business model to the right licence scope and leads the file all the way to the ASIC decision, including banking and payment rails.
Get an investment license in Australia.
The licence in front of the superannuation pool: an Australian financial services licence from ASIC - advice, dealing and managed-investment authorisations under the Corporations Act, base-level financial requirements for advisory models and NTA tiers from A$150,000 where scheme operation or custody enters, carried by responsible managers ASIC accepts.
27 yrs
on the international marketon the market
60+
in-house specialistsspecialists
400+
Licenses obtainedlicenses obtained
Updated
Australia in brief
One licence, scaled to what you actually do.
Australia regulates investment business through a single instrument - the Australian financial services licence under the Corporations Act 2001 - scoped by authorisations: financial product advice, dealing, operating managed investment schemes, custody. The financial requirements scale with the risk taken: advisory and dealing models carry base-level requirements - solvency, positive net assets and a rolling cash-needs projection - while scheme operators and asset holders step onto NTA tiers: the greater of A$150,000, half a percent of average scheme assets (capped at A$5 million) or 10% of average revenue on the concessional path, A$10 million or 10% of revenue for core custodians, with half the NTA held in cash and all of it liquid. ASIC is consulting in 2026 on indexing these thresholds upward, so files are built with headroom.
The prize is the pool: Australia runs one of the world's largest pension systems - superannuation assets in the trillions, compulsory contributions feeding it every quarter - plus a wealth market that consumes advice at scale. The licence is carried by responsible managers, nominated individuals whose experience covers each authorisation, and ASIC tests them before it tests anything else. Corporate tax runs at 30% with a 25% base-rate tier, franking credits neutralise the dividend layer for domestic owners, and the GST treats financial supplies as input-taxed. For advisory groups, fund operators and dealers building toward the super system, we scope the authorisations, source the responsible managers and build the file end to end.
The super-pool licence: ASIC AFSL scoped by authorisations - base-level requirements for advice and dealing, NTA tiers where schemes or custody enter (greater of A$150k / 0.5% assets capped A$5M / 10% revenue; custodians A$10M), half the NTA in cash.
Responsible managers carry the file; CP 388 consults on lifting thresholds - we build with headroom. 30%/25% tax with franking. Built end to end from Sydney.
The two builds
The advice and dealing firm - or the scheme operator.
One AFSL, two risk levels: advisory and dealing models on base-level requirements, scheme operation and custody on NTA tiers. Authorisations decide capital. We scope them first.
Advice and dealing on base-level - or the RE build on NTA.
01 - ADVICE · DEALING AFSL
The advisory firm
Financial product advice and dealing for retail and wholesale clients. Base-level financial requirements without fixed NTA, responsible managers covering each authorisation, wholesale-only builds lighter still.
Financial product advice and dealing for retail and wholesale clients. Base-level financial requirements without fixed NTA, responsible managers covering each authorisation, wholesale-only builds lighter still.
- ✓Advice - general and personal
- ✓Dealing and arranging
- ✓Solvency + positive net assets
- ✓Rolling cash-needs projection
- ✓Responsible managers per authorisation
- ✓Wholesale-only route lighter
02 - SCHEME OPERATOR · RE
The funds build
Operating registered managed investment schemes as responsible entity. NTA from the greater of A$150,000, 0.5% of scheme assets or 10% of revenue, stepping to A$10 million where custody is core.
Responsible-entity authorisation on the greater-of NTA formula with the A$5M assets-leg cap. Custody at A$10M where core, headroom built for CP 388.
- ✓Registered schemes - RE authorisation
- ✓NTA - greater-of formula
- ✓A$5M cap on the assets leg
- ✓50% of NTA in cash
- ✓Custodial A$10M where core
- ✓2026 consultation - headroom built
Financial requirements per ASIC's framework as of 2026. Under live consultation (CP 388) with indexation options on the table. Files are built with headroom.
Why Australia
Six reasons firms choose the AFSL.
✓
The super pool
A compulsory pension system in the trillions, fed quarterly. The world's most reliable allocator base grows by law.Trillions, growing by law.
✓
One scalable licence
Advice to scheme operation under a single AFSL. Authorisations added as the business grows, no re-licensing from zero.Authorisations scale it.
✓
Risk-scaled capital
Advisory models run on solvency and cash projections, not fixed NTA. Capital arrives only when custody or schemes do.NTA only with custody.
✓
Responsible-manager logic
ASIC licenses demonstrated experience. A strong bench of responsible managers moves files faster than any balance sheet.Experience licenses.
✓
Wholesale efficiencies
Wholesale-only builds shed retail conduct overlays. The institutional model licenses leaner.Institutional overlays only.
✓
A market that pays for advice
Advice consumption at scale, franked dividends and a mature platform ecosystem. Revenue models regulators elsewhere only describe.A market that buys it.
How it compares
How Australia differs from other routes.
Numbers next to numbers: a long file into a closed, rich market. Priced in preparation, repaid in the pool.
Australia vs other jurisdictions
| Feature |  Australia | Other jurisdictions |
|---|---|---|
| Regime | AFSL - Corporations Act | Type or activity licences |
| Capital | Base-level → NTA tiers | Fixed minimums |
| Market | Trillions in super | Open but contested |
| Timeline | 6-12 months | 4-12 months elsewhere |
Regime
AustraliaAFSL - Corporations Act
Other jurisdictionsType or activity licences
Capital
AustraliaBase-level → NTA tiers
Other jurisdictionsFixed minimums
Market
AustraliaTrillions in super
Other jurisdictionsOpen but contested
Timeline
Australia6-12 months
Other jurisdictions4-12 months elsewhere
Country by country
| Country | License type | Taxation | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | ASIC AFSL | 30% · 25% base rate | Base-level → NTA tiers |
 England | Investment firm - FCA | 25% main rate | MIFIDPRU £75k-£750k |
 Singapore | MAS CMS licence | 17% + incentives | S$1M-S$5M base capital |
 Hong Kong | SFC Types 9/4/1 | 8.25%/16.5% · no CGT | HK$100k-HK$5M by model |
AustraliaLicense typeASIC AFSL
Taxation30% · 25% base rate
RequirementsBase-level → NTA tiers
EnglandLicense typeInvestment firm - FCA
Taxation25% main rate
RequirementsMIFIDPRU £75k-£750k
SingaporeLicense typeMAS CMS licence
Taxation17% + incentives
RequirementsS$1M-S$5M base capital
Hong KongLicense typeSFC Types 9/4/1
Taxation8.25%/16.5% · no CGT
RequirementsHK$100k-HK$5M by model
Before you apply
Requirements for the Australian licence.Requirements for the licence.
ASIC tests competence before capital. The checklist below is what a passing application contains.
01
Australian company. A local entity with real operations ASIC can inspect.
02
Authorisation map. Advice, dealing, scheme operation and custody scoped to the actual model.
03
Responsible managers. Nominated individuals whose demonstrated experience covers every authorisation.
04
Financial requirements. Base-level solvency and cash projections; NTA tiers where schemes or custody enter.
05
Fit-and-proper controllers. Officers and owners vetted, with criminal and regulatory histories disclosed.
06
Business description. Clients, products and distribution ASIC can test against the authorisations.
07
Compliance arrangements. Measures, monitoring and breach reporting proportionate to scale.
08
Risk management. Documented systems covering operational, market and conduct risk.
09
Dispute resolution. AFCA membership and internal procedures for retail models.
10
Compensation arrangements. Professional indemnity insurance adequate to the authorisations.
11
Substance. Resident operations, not a licence held from abroad.
01
Australian company, real ops.
02
Authorisations mapped.
03
RMs cover every line.
04
Financial tier arranged.
05
Controllers vetted.
06
Testable business model.
07
Compliance measures live.
08
Risk systems documented.
09
AFCA + PI for retail.
10
Resident substance.
Reflects the Corporations Act and ASIC's licensing framework as of 2026, including the live CP 388 consultation on NTA thresholds.Corporations Act + ASIC framework, 2026.
How it works
From first call to the ASIC register.
01
Authorisation map
The model translated into authorisations and the matching financial tier - scoped before anything is built.Tier scoped first.
02
Bench and entity
Australian company, responsible managers evidenced, financial requirements arranged with headroom.RMs evidenced.
03
Lodgement
The application with core proofs through ASIC's portal. Complete files skip the slow lane.Core proofs complete.
04
ASIC assessment
Requisitions and RM interviews handled on schedule. Competence defended where it is tested.Interviews prepared.
05
Licence and launch
AFSL granted, AFCA and PI live, platforms connected. Operating in front of the pool.In front of the pool.
Quick facts
RegulatorASIC
LicenceAFSL
Advisory modelsBase-level requirements
RE NTAA$150k+ greater-of
Assets-leg capA$5,000,000
Core custodyA$10M or 10% revenue
Cash component50% of NTA
Realistic timeline6-12 months
CP 388 (2026) consults on indexing NTA thresholds upward. We build files against the direction of travel, not just the current floor.
On the ground in Australia
Run from our Sydney office.
Prifinance - Australia
Sydney · Australia
Sydney, Australia
01
Authorisation design
The AFSL scoped to the real model. Advice-only files kept lean, scheme builds capitalised with headroom.Lean, no over-licensing.
02
Responsible managers
The bench sourced and evidenced. Demonstrated experience mapped to every authorisation ASIC will test.Sourced, evidenced.
03
The ASIC file
Core and supplementary proofs, financial statements and compliance measures. Complete at lodgement.Complete at lodgement.
04
Launch and distribution
Banking, platforms, AFCA and PI cover in place. The firm selling into the super system.Platforms and PI live.
We also have offices in
Tallinn
Estonia
Roseni 13
Vilnius
Lithuania
Gedimino pr. 2
Prague
Czech Republic
Vlkova 532/8, Žižkov
London
United Kingdom
7 Bell Yard
Madeira
Portugal
Rua da Alegria 31, 1F
Budapest
Hungary
Korányi Sándor u. 4
Istanbul
Turkey
Perpa Ticaret Merkezi, A Blok
Good to know
Taxation of investment firms in Australia.
Full-rate headline numbers. Softened by franking, the base-rate tier and a market that prices them in.
30% · 25% base rate
The headline corporate rate, with 25% for base-rate entities under the turnover threshold. Most new firms start there.Base-rate entry tier.
Franking imputation
Corporate tax paid becomes credits attached to dividends. Domestic owners are not taxed twice on the same profit.No double taxation.
GST input-taxed finance
Financial supplies are input-taxed - no GST charged on core services, with input credits managed per the mix.Core services clean.
No separate CGT rate for companies
Gains tax as income at the corporate rate. Planning happens at holder level, where discounts can apply.Holder-level planning.
Treaties 45+
A broad network across the investing world. Cross-border management and group flows route with credit relief.Credit relief network.
R&D incentives
Refundable offsets for qualifying development. Fintech-flavoured investment platforms recover real cost.Platforms recover cost.
Tax summary
Corporate tax30% · 25% base rate
DividendsFranking imputation
GST10% · input-taxed finance
Capital gainsCorporate rate
Tax treaties45+
*Figures as of 2026 per the Australian Taxation Office. Holder-level and group outcomes are modelled per structure.
Turnkey professional support
Experienced lawyers and international consultants.
We provide end-to-end support, from company registration and the application file to regulatory interaction and compliance oversight - with an individualized approach to each client.
Oleksii Kindratenko
Builds the application itself: Australian company, AML/KYC policy pack, capital structure and tax registrations. His document sets are the reason reviews finish in months, not years.
Eugeniu Bevziuc
First point of contact for international founders. Runs the whole setup remotely, across time zones and languages - from the first call to a live, licensed firm.
Follow Prifinance
Active across our channels.
Australia · ASIC
Launch your investment firm in Australia with expert support.
Full-service assistance - from authorisation design and responsible managers to the AFSL and platform launch - run through our Sydney office.
Get a consultation →Free legal opinion
Is Australia the right fit for your project?
Our legal team will analyze your case at no cost and provide a written legal opinion: which jurisdiction, licence scope, or route fits your business.
Written assessment within 2-5 business days
Request a free conclusion →FAQ
The Australian investment licence: the practical answers.
What licence does an investment firm need in Australia?+
An Australian financial services licence from ASIC under the Corporations Act, scoped by authorisations - financial product advice, dealing, operating managed investment schemes and custody. One licence covers the stack; the authorisations define it.
What are the financial requirements?+
Advisory and dealing models carry base-level requirements - solvency, positive net assets and a rolling cash-needs projection. Scheme operators step onto NTA: the greater of A$150,000, 0.5% of average scheme assets (capped at A$5 million) or 10% of average revenue, with core custodians at A$10 million or 10% of revenue.
How is the NTA held?+
Half the required NTA must sit in cash or equivalents and all of it in liquid assets - the requirement is about surviving an orderly wind-down, not decorating a balance sheet.
Who are responsible managers?+
Nominated individuals whose demonstrated experience covers each authorisation - typically several years of relevant, recent history evidenced through references and records. ASIC tests the bench before everything else; sourcing it early is the schedule lever.
How long does licensing take?+
Realistically 6-12 months including preparation. Complete lodgements with strong responsible-manager evidence move fastest; requisition rounds punish gaps.
Are the capital thresholds changing?+
ASIC's CP 388 consultation (2026) puts indexation on the table - options include lifting the A$150,000 floor toward A$200,000 and the A$10 million tier toward A$13.8 million. We build files with headroom against the direction of travel.
How are Australian investment firms taxed?+
30% corporate tax with a 25% base-rate tier, franking credits that neutralise domestic double taxation, input-taxed treatment of financial supplies under GST and a 45+ treaty network.
What makes the market worth the file?+
Superannuation - a compulsory pension pool in the trillions growing by law every quarter - plus a wealth market that consumes and pays for advice at scale. Few licences stand in front of a comparable allocator base.
Wholesale or retail authorisations?+
Wholesale-only builds shed retail conduct overlays - no AFCA-facing retail machinery, leaner disclosure. Many managers start wholesale and add retail when distribution demands it. We scope this decision first.
Why Prifinance for Australia?+
Authorisation design that avoids over-licensing, responsible managers sourced and evidenced, and lodgements complete on day one - run from our Sydney office.
What licence?+
ASIC AFSL by authorisation.
Capital?+
Base-level → NTA tiers.
RE NTA?+
A$150k+ greater-of.
RMs?+
Evidenced experience.
How long?+
6-12 months realistic.
Thresholds moving?+
CP 388 - headroom built.
Taxes?+
30%/25% + franking.
Why the market?+
Super in the trillions.
Wholesale?+
Leaner - often first.
Why you?+
RMs + complete files.
Client notes
Google4.7★★★★★
Founders who wanted it done right.
Google4.7★★★★★
“As a software development crew at FewMoreTaps OÜ, we've had the pleasure of working with Prifinance on some key financial moves.First of all, navigating the world of corporate banking and finance can be a maze, but Prifinance made it feel like a walk in the park. They helped us set up a corporate bank account without the hassle of jumping on a plane or drowning in paperwork. Everything was done remotely, smoothly…”
Google
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Google
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Google
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Get a free legal opinion on your project - our legal team will analyze your case at no cost and provide a written legal opinion: which jurisdiction, licence scope, or route fits your business.Free legal opinion: which Australian route fits your project and what it will cost.
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Prifinance is an independent law and advisory firm. We are not a regulator and are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of ASIC or any other public authority. Authorisations are granted by, and obtained directly from, the competent authorities.