Ownership · Australian business guide

Shareholders, Founders and Company Control

Turn ownership percentages into workable rules for decisions, transfers, exits, disputes and the relationship between directors and shareholders.

Decision path

  1. 01

    Map the cap table

    Confirm legal ownership, classes, vesting and any promised but unissued equity.

  2. 02

    Allocate decisions

    Separate board, shareholder and founder reserved matters.

  3. 03

    Plan the hard events

    Agree transfer, deadlock, leaver and exit rules before they are needed.

Selected reading

Get the facts before choosing the document.

These are the strongest starting points for this topic. Use the official sources for the current rule, then scope legal work against your facts.

Director vs shareholderRemoving a shareholder

Primary sources

Source links checked 20 July 2026. Confirm the current rule before acting.

Legal work that may follow

Turn the decision into usable documents and advice.

This guide is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. The right path depends on the entity, documents and commercial facts.