此前我们发布了有关《在澳经商》总体政策及常见领域法律的文章。目前其中一些领域的情况及规定有所变化，因此我们制作了《在澳经商》系列的新版，新版的相关文章将从现在开始陆续发布。

企业结构

公司

公司是具有一个或多个共同目标的人的联合体。公司受2011年公司法 （联邦） （公司法）的管辖。 广义来讲公司可分为二类：

• 私有公司

• 公众公司

私有公司最常见的形式是股份有限公司，不过也有无限责任的私有公司。

股份制私有公司是私人公司，最多不能超过50名非员工股东，也就是说在公司任职的股东不计入该50名股东的人数限制。成立股份有限公司的好处是，其成员应付的责任仅限于其各自的股权。股份制私有公司在处理其股票方面存在一定的限制，且私有公司不能向公众提供或邀请公众认购其股份或债券。

如果一个私有公司违反了公司法中关于非员工股东数量的规定，或向公众提供或邀请公众认购其股份或债券，企业监管机构澳大利亚证券和投资委员会 （ASIC） 可能要求该公司转型为公众公司。

对于公司的成立手续，与公众公司相比，私有公司具有多项优势，其中包括：

• 不要求拥有至少两名以上通常居住在澳大利亚的董事

• 没有举行年度股东会议（AGM）的义务

• 没有委任一名公司秘书的义务

任何不属于私有公司的公司均为公众公司。其中包括在证券交易所的官方清单中所列的州或内部地区中成立的法人团体。公众公司的类型包括有限股份制公司、担保有限公司、无责任公司和无限责任公司。与私有公司相比，公众公司具有更频繁地披露和报告的要求。不过某些担保有限公司受到的信息披露和报告要求相对略低。公众公司必须拥有至少三名董事，其中二名必须通常居住在澳大利亚，且必须拥有至少一名通常居住在澳大利亚的公司秘书。公众公司的股东或成员数量没有限制，但必须遵守公司法中规定的披露要求和其他要求，包括要约文件的编制，可以向公众发行股票或债券。

企业

企业是根据宪章或立法成立的独立的法人实体。根据公司法，企业包括公司（如上文所述）、法人团体和某些非法人团体，但明确排除了企业的唯一及豁免政府机构。如果具有一定的公司特权，例如持有财产的权利，非法人机构具备成为一个企业的资格。

合资公司

两个或两个以上的个人或企业可以按照合资公司 （JV）的形式进行经营。 合资公司受普通法及合同法的管辖。合资公司可以成为法人（合资公司本身是一个独立的法律实体）也可以不成为法人（合资公司不是一个独立的法律实体）。非法人合资公司一般与合伙企业非常相似（如下文所述），且应受认真起草的规定了各合资方的权利和义务并保护其各自利益的合资协议的约束。在地产、采矿和石油行业中以及非营利组织中，合资公司是一种非常常见的形式。合资公司通常为了一个独立的项目成立，而不是为了开展持续经营的业务。

合伙企业

合伙企业（通常）是共同开展业务以期盈利的人的联合体。 合伙企业不是独立的法人实体。合伙企业受各州立法的管辖，例如，新南威尔士州的1982年合伙企业法 （NSW）。 成立合伙企业所允许的合伙人数量限制一般是不超过20人，除了某些专业的合伙企业，例如法律和会计师合伙企业，该限制对此不适用。

合伙企业的一个基本要素是“业务”的存在，包括商业、职业或专业。 该业务必须是共同进行的，这就要求实际开展该业务的合伙人具有代表该合伙企业办事的授权，充当其他所有合伙人的代理，且该业务必须是以盈利为目的的，盈利目的视每个具体情况而定。

在无限责任合伙企业中，合伙人应对合伙企业的所有债务承担连带责任，这意味着任何一个合伙人都可以被追究偿还合伙企业债务的全部责任。

在有限责任合伙企业中，合伙人通常被分为二类:

• 有限责任合伙人（LP），在经营中不得承担管理工作，其责任仅限于预先协定的数额（与私有公司中的股东类似）

• 普通合伙人（GP），其责任是无限的，通常在经营活动中担任管理角色。

有限责任合伙企业必须至少具有一名GP和一名LP。虽然合伙企业不是一个独立的法人实体，但是某些州和领地的立法允许注册成立“有限责任合伙企业”，这种情况则成为一个独立的法人实体。

在有限责任合伙企业中，GP将通常是低资本的股份有限制私人公司，如果持有资产，则仅持有少量资产。GP将管理合伙企业的业务并代其承担任何负债，向LP分配赚取的利润。每个州和领地都具有对于成立有限责任合伙企业的不同要求。

一些由澳洲政府管理的项目可以对特定的有限合伙企业提供优惠（如税收优惠），比如风险投资或早期风投有限合伙企业等。

信托

业务可以通过信托来开展。必须委任拥有该业务的资产的合法业权的受托人，受托人代表该信托的受益人或以合法目标为目的（例如慈善机构）开展这些资产相关的贸易活动。受托人可以是个人或公司，包括外国公司。信托不是独立的法律实体，但受托人和受益人的责任可能是有限的。一个信托的受托人通常是独立的法律实体，例如专门为担任这一角色而成立的公司。 受托人将代表受益人根据当事方所在地适用的州或领地的任何信托机构的条款代表受益人管理信托资产，例如，维多利亚州适用1958年受托人法 （Vic）。 受托人可能代表该信托产生负债，但受益人不需要承担任何责任，除了消耗他们各自的拥有受益权的信托资金。受托人对信托的受益人负有信托责任以及适用于这种关系的其他责任，包括以诚信原则采取行动、避免利益冲突、充分披露、以及不谋取秘密利益或收益。

单位信托是在澳大利亚投资的流行工具。每一个案例中的投资者数量以及投资的形式和数量都需要进行考虑，从而确定这一结构是否合适。如果投资者的数量较多（通常情况下超过20），且投资者不是“富有经验的投资者”（适用条件为：投资超过$500,000，或投资者拥有的净资产超过$250万元或过去两年中的总收入为$250,000或以上），则该信托需要注册成为托管投资信托（MIT），且受托人将需要持有适当的澳大利亚金融服务执照（AFSL）。 MIT可以在证券交易所上市，比如很多房地产投资信托（REITs），即MIT的一种形式，近年来操作的方式就是如此。

注册外国公司

外资公司是在澳大利亚境外成立的法人或非法人实体。如果除其他事项外，在澳大利亚拥有经营场所（例如办事处），在澳大利亚成立或使用股权转让或股权登记处，或在澳大利亚以代理人、法人代表或其他身份管理、经营或处理财产，外资公司必须在ASIC注册，然后才能在澳大利亚开展业务。

希望在澳大利亚开展业务的境外公司可以选择注册子公司或通过注册为外资公司的方式设立办事处。如果希望成立办事处，外资公司必须在ASIC注册，且必须任命一名澳大利亚居民为本地代理人。一个境外实体在澳大利亚“开展业务”时必须建立办事处或注册一个分公司，是一个事实问题，并将取决于每个案例的具体情况所适用的相关法律法规。公司法中规定了不会导致一个境外实体被自动视为在澳大利亚“开展业务”的一系列因素，其中包括拥有一个银行账户、作为诉讼的一个当事方、债务执行或募集只能在澳大利亚以外接受的订单。

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欲查阅之前我们发布的【在澳经商基本法律法规】主题系列以及与您生意相关的其他资讯，请进入订阅号点击右上角按钮，选择“查看历史消息”：

• 在澳大利亚成立公司须知

• 澳大利亚相关背景，例如包括澳大利亚政府制度、法律制度、企业结构

• 其他常见领域法律与规定，例如技术与知识产权保护、反垄断和消费者保护法、合同法、公开接管、电子商务、商业移民和雇主担保签证、房地产、环境法等

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【Doing Business in Australia 2015】III — Business Structures

Our readers may have already read our "Doing Business in Australia" series of articles posted before. Recently quite a few relevant facts and policies have been updated. Hence we have produced a new version. You will be able to receive the updated articles about "Doing Business in Australia" in the coming weeks.

Business Structures

Companies

A company is an association of a number of persons with a common object or objects. Companies are regulated by Commonwealth legislation, the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) (Corporations Act). There are, broadly, two types of companies:

• proprietary companies

• public companies.

The most commonly used form of proprietary company is a company limited by shares, although there are also unlimited proprietary companies.

Proprietary companies limited by shares are private companies with a maximum of 50 non-employee shareholders, meaning shareholders that are also company employees do not count toward the 50 shareholder limit. The benefit of forming a company limited by shares is that it limits the liability of its members to their respective shareholding. Proprietary companies limited by shares are restricted in how they can deal with their shares and a proprietary company cannot issue invitations or offers to the public to subscribe for its shares or debt instruments.

If a proprietary company contravenes the Corporations Act restrictions regarding the number of non-employee shareholders it has, or the issue of shares or debt instruments to the public, the corporate regulator, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) may require the company to convert to a public company.

Proprietary companies enjoy a number of advantages over public companies with respect to set-up formalities, including:

• no requirement to have more than one director who resides in Australia

• no obligation to hold an Annual General Meeting (AGM)

• no obligation to appoint a company secretary.

Any company that is not a proprietary company is a public company. This includes a body corporate incorporated in a state or territory which is included in the official list of a securities exchange. Types of public companies include those limited by shares, limited by guarantee, no liability companies and unlimited liability companies. Most public companies are subject to more onerous disclosure and reporting requirements than proprietary companies. However certain public companies limited by guarantee are subject to a reduced disclosure and reporting regime. Public companies must have at least three directors, two of whom must ordinarily reside in Australia and at least one company secretary ordinarily resident in Australia. There is no limit as to the number of shareholders or members of a public company and, subject to compliance with the disclosure and other requirements set out in the Corporations Act, including the preparation of an offer document, may issue shares or debt instruments to the public.

Corporations

A corporation is a separate legal entity created by charter or legislation. For the purposes of the Corporations Act a corporation includes a company (as described above), a body corporate and certain unincorporated bodies, but specifically excludes corporations’ sole and exempt public authorities. An unincorporated body may qualify as a corporation if it possesses certain corporate powers such as the power to hold property.

Joint Ventures

Two or more individuals or corporations may carry on business as a Joint Venture (JV). JVs are governed by common law and the law of contract. They may be incorporated (the JV is itself a separate legal entity) or unincorporated (the JV is not a separate legal entity). Unincorporated JVs are generally similar to a partnership (as described below), and should be governed by a carefully drafted JV agreement to set out the JV parties’ rights and obligations, and protect their interests. JVs are common in the property, mining and petroleum industries as well as not-for-profit associations. JVs are commonly formed for a single project rather than on-going business.

Partnerships

A partnership is an association of persons who carry on business together (in common) with a view to profit. A partnership is not a separate legal entity. Partnerships are regulated by state legislation, such as, in New South Wales, the Partnership Act 1892 (NSW). The number of partners permitted to form a partnership is generally limited to a maximum of 20, except for certain professional partnerships, such as legal and accounting partnerships, where this limit does not apply.

An essential element of a partnership is the existence of a ‘business’, which includes a trade, occupation or profession. The business also must be carried on in common, which requires that the partners actually carrying on the business have authority to transact on behalf of the partnership, acting as agents for all the other partners, and the business must be carried on with a view to profit, which is a question of fact dependant on the circumstances of each case.

In unlimited partnerships, partners are jointly and severally liable for all liabilities of the partnership, which means that any one partner can be pursued for recovery of all of the liabilities incurred by the partnership.

In limited partnerships, there are two classes of partners:

• limited partners (LPs), who must not manage the business and whose liability is limited to a pre-contributed sum (similar to shareholders in a proprietary company)

• general partners (GPs), whose liability is unlimited and who undertake a managerial role in the activity of the business.
  

A limited partnership must have at least one GP and at least one LP. Whilst a partnership is not a separate legal entity, certain state and territory legislation allows for the registration of an ‘incorporated limited partnership’, which is a separate legal entity.

In limited partnerships the GP will, usually, be a lowly capitalised private company limited by shares holding little, if any, assets. The GP will manage the partnership business and incur any liabilities on its behalf, distributing profit earned to the LPs. Each state and territory has different requirements for the establishment of a limited partnership.

The Australian Government also administers specific programs which may provide advantages (such as beneficial tax treatment) to certain limited partnerships, for example, venture capital and early stage venture capital limited partnerships.

Trusts

A business may be carried on through a trust. A trustee needs to be appointed which holds legal title to the assets of the business and carries on the trading activities with those assets on behalf of the beneficiaries of the trust or in pursuit of a lawful aim (such as a charity). The trustee may be an individual or a corporation, including foreign companies. A trust is not a separate legal entity but liability of the trustee and the beneficiaries may be limited. Usually the trustee of a trust is a separate legal entity such as a company set up specifically to carry out this role.

The trustee will manage the trust assets on behalf of the beneficiaries subject to the terms of any trust instrument the parties have in place and applicable state or territory legislation, such as, in Victoria, the Trustee Act 1958 (Vic). The trustee may incur liabilities on behalf of the trust, but the beneficiaries are not exposed to any liability other than dissipation of the trust fund they each have a beneficial interest in. A trustee owes a fiduciary duty of care to beneficiaries of the trust and has a number of other duties imposed on it by this relationship, including the duty to act in good faith, to avoid conflicts of interest, make full disclosure and not to make a secret profit or gain.

Unit trusts are popular vehicles for the pooling of investments in Australia. Consideration needs to be given to the number of investors and the type and number of investments to be made in each case, to determine whether this is an appropriate structure. Where the number of investors is large (generally, exceeding 20), and the investors are not “Sophisticated Investors” (applies where the investment exceeds $500,000, or the investor has net assets of $2.5 million or gross income for the past 2 years of $250,000 or more), the trust may need to be registered as a Managed Investment Trust (MIT) and the trustee will require an appropriate Australian Financial Services License (AFSL). MITs can be listed on a stock exchange as, for example, many Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs), which are a form of MIT, have done in recent years.

Registered Foreign Companies

A foreign company is an incorporated or unincorporated body formed outside Australia. A foreign company must register with ASIC to carry on business in Australia if, among other things, it has a place of business in Australia (such as a brand office), establishes or uses a share transfer or share registration office in Australia, or administers, manages or deals with property in Australia as an agent, legal personal representative or otherwise.

An overseas company wishing to carry on business in Australia may elect either to register a subsidiary or establish a branch office by registering itself as a foreign company. If a branch office is to be established, the foreign company must be registered with ASIC and an Australian resident local agent must be appointed. Whether a foreign body is ‘carrying on business’ in Australia, and therefore must establish a branch office or register a subsidiary, is a question of fact and will depend upon the application of the relevant legal principles to the circumstances of each case. The Corporations Act provides a list of factors that will not automatically lead to a foreign body being deemed to be ‘carrying on business’ in Australia, which includes maintaining a bank account, being a party to legal proceedings, debt enforcement or soliciting an order that is only accepted outside of Australia.

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【We provide excellent, expert advice to businesses wishing to invest in Australia.】

To view our previous news for Chinese investors and various articles in relation with the topic ‘Doing business in Australia’, please click the button on the upper-right hand corner on our WeChat platform, and choose ‘view history’. The contents include:

• Business set up in Australia, business structures,company administration, etc.

• Background information of Australia, including Australian government, legal system, and business structures, etc.

• Laws and regulations in various common areas, including protection of technology and intellectual property, anti-trust and consumer law, contract law, business migration, real property, public takeovers, and electronic commerce etc.