Director identification number (director ID) requirements may affect you. The ABRS is responsible for administering the director ID initiative and has commenced issuing the below correspondence to new directors appointed for the first time after 1 November 2021 who have not yet met their obligation to obtain a director ID.
A director ID is a unique number that identifies an individual as a director of an Australian company registered Australian body or Australian registered foreign company. All directors need to apply for their own director ID. No one can apply on their behalf. The fastest way to do this is to apply online at ABRS.gov.au. You may be contacted by your clients for assistance in applying for a director ID.
When a director has to apply for their director ID depends on two things:
- When they were appointed as a director, and
- Whether they were appointed under the Corporations Act or the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act (known as the CATSI Act).
Under the Corporations Act 2001, the following arrangements apply:
- Directors who were appointed before 1 November 2021 must apply for a director ID on or before 30 November 2022,
- Directors appointed for the first time between 1 November 2021 and 4 April 2022 must apply for a director ID within 28 days of their appointment,
- From 5 April 2022, directors appointed for the first time must apply prior to their appointment.
ASIC is responsible for enforcing director ID offences set out in the Corporations Act 2001. It is a criminal offence to not apply on time, and penalties may apply.
For more information about penalties, visit the ASIC website.
For more information about who needs a director ID, including how to apply, visit the ABRS website.
