Free Australian business tool

Compare structures,without pretending one always wins.

Answer five practical questions and get a transparent comparison of sole trader, partnership, company and trust starting points.

1.How many owners or principals do you expect?
2.How much operating or contractual risk will the business carry?
3.How do you expect to fund growth?
4.How do you feel about governance and administration?
5.What do you expect to do with available profit?

What the score cannot decide

Structure is a legal, tax and commercial system.

Tax and distributions

Rates, losses, payroll, GST, capital gains and distributions need accounting advice.

Liability in practice

Insurance, guarantees, licences, director duties and the actual contracts can change the risk.

Ownership and succession

The structure must fit who owns assets, who controls decisions and how people enter or exit.

Implementation

Registrations, constitutions, trust deeds, shareholder or partnership agreements must align.

Primary sources: business.gov.au structure comparison and ASIC business structures. Sources checked 20 July 2026.

Ready to choose?

Align the structure, registrations and ownership documents.

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