Starting a new business: your legal and compliance checklist

The first few months of a new business can feel like wearing five hats at once — product, customers, pricing, hiring, and a growing list of “we’ll fix that later” admin. This checklist walks you through the key legal and compliance steps for a new Australian business start-up. From choosing the right business structure and registrations (ACN/ASIC/ABN/GST) to founder/shareholder agreements, IP and trade marks, contractor vs employee risk, privacy and data breach readiness (including AML/CTF reforms from 1 July 2026), and the core insurance policies worth considering.