Commonwealth Consolidated Acts

CORPORATIONS ACT 2001 - SECT 911A

             (1)  Subject to this section, a person who carries on a financial services business in this jurisdiction must hold an Australian financial services licence covering the provision of the financial services.

Note 1:       Also, a person must not provide a financial service contrary to a banning order or disqualification order under Division 8.

Note 2:       Failure to comply with this subsection is an offence (see subsection 1311(1)).

             (2)  However, a person is exempt from the requirement to hold an Australian financial services licence for a financial service they provide in any of the following circumstances:

                     (a)  the person provides the service as representative of a second person who carries on a financial services business and who:

                              (i)  holds an Australian financial services licence that covers the provision of the service; or

                             (ii)  is exempt under this subsection from the requirement to hold an Australian financial services licence that covers the provision of the service;

Note:       However, representatives must still comply with section 911B even if they are exempted from this section by this paragraph.

                     (b)  the service is the issue, variation or disposal of a financial product by the person (the product provider ) pursuant to an arrangement (an intermediary authorisation ) between the product provider and a financial services licensee under which:

                              (i)  the financial services licensee, or their authorised representatives, may make offers to people to arrange for the issue, variation or disposal of financial products by the product provider; and

                             (ii)  the product provider is to issue, vary or dispose of financial products in accordance with such offers, if they are accepted;

                            provided that the offer pursuant to which the issue, variation or disposal is made was covered by the financial services licensee's Australian financial services licence;

                    (ba)  the service is the entry into of an intermediary authorisation referred to in paragraph (b);

                     (c)  all of the following apply:

                              (i)  the service is the variation or disposal of a financial product by the person;

                             (ii)  the same person issued the original product;

                            (iii)  the person provides the service at the direct request of the person to whom it is provided (rather than through an intermediary);

                     (d)  the service is, or is provided incidentally to, the operation of a licensed market, or a licensed CS facility, operated by the person;

                    (ea)  the service is the provision of general advice and all of the following apply:

                              (i)  the advice is provided in a newspaper or periodical of which the person is the proprietor or publisher;

                             (ii)  the newspaper or periodical is generally available to the public otherwise than only on subscription;

                            (iii)  the sole or principal purpose of the newspaper or periodical is not the provision of financial product advice;

                    (eb)  the service is the provision of general advice and all of the following apply:

                              (i)  the advice is provided in the course of, or by means of, transmissions that the person makes by means of an information service (see subsection (6)), or that are made by means of an information service that the person owns, operates or makes available;

                             (ii)  the transmissions are generally available to the public;

                            (iii)  the sole or principal purpose of the transmissions is not the provision of financial product advice;

                    (ec)  the service is the provision of general advice and all of the following apply:

                              (i)  the advice is provided in sound recordings, video recordings, or data recordings;

                             (ii)  the person makes the recordings available to the public by supplying copies of them to the public and/or by causing the recordings (if they are sound recordings) to be heard by the public, causing the recordings (if they are video recordings) to be seen and heard by the public, or the contents of the recordings (if they are data recordings) to be displayed or reproduced for the public;

                            (iii)  the sole or principal purpose of the recordings is not the provision of financial product advice;

                    (ed)  both of the following apply:

                              (i)  the service is the provision of general advice by the person in connection with an offer of financial products under an eligible employee share scheme;

                             (ii)  the person is the corporation whose financial products are being issued or sold under the scheme, or an entity that that corporation controls;

                    (ee)  all of the following apply:

                              (i)  the service is dealing in a financial product by the person in connection with an offer of the financial product under an eligible employee share scheme;

                             (ii)  the scheme requires that any purchase or disposal of the financial product under the scheme occurs through a person who holds an Australian financial services licence to deal in financial products, or a person outside this jurisdiction who is licensed or otherwise authorised to deal in financial products in that jurisdiction;

                            (iii)  the person is the corporation whose financial products are being issued or sold under the scheme, or an entity that that corporation controls;

                    (ef)  both of the following apply:

                              (i)  the service is, or is provided incidentally to, a custodial or depository service that is provided by the person in connection with an eligible employee share scheme;

                             (ii)  the person is the corporation whose financial products are being issued or sold under the scheme, or an entity that that corporation controls;

                    (eg)  both of the following apply:

                              (i)  the service is dealing in an interest in a contribution plan operated by the person in relation to an eligible employee share scheme;

                             (ii)  the person is the corporation whose financial products are being issued or sold under the scheme, or an entity that that corporation controls;

                      (f)  the person provides the service while performing functions, or exercising powers, in any of the following capacities or circumstances:

                              (i)  as an official receiver or trustee within the meaning of the Bankruptcy Act 1966 ;

                             (ii)  as a receiver, receiver and manager, or liquidator (whether appointed by a court or otherwise);

                            (iii)  as a person appointed by a court to carry on a financial services business;

                            (iv)  as the Public Trustee acting under a law, prescribed by regulations made for the purposes of this paragraph, of a State or Territory;

                             (v)  as an administrator of a body corporate;

                            (vi)  as an administrator of a deed of company arrangement executed by a body corporate;

                           (vii)  as a trustee or person administering a compromise or arrangement between a body corporate and another person or persons;

                           (viii)  as a personal representative of a deceased person other than a deceased financial services licensee;

                            (ix)  subject to subsection (3), as a personal representative of a deceased financial services licensee;

                             (x)  in the administration of a bankrupt estate or in the winding up of a body corporate or partnership;

                     (g)  all of the following apply:

                              (i)  the person is a body regulated by APRA;

                             (ii)  the service is one in relation to which APRA has regulatory or supervisory responsibilities;

                            (iii)  the service is provided only to wholesale clients;

                     (h)  all of the following apply:

                              (i)  the person is regulated by an overseas regulatory authority;

                             (ii)  the provision of the service by the person is covered by an exemption specified by ASIC in writing under this subparagraph and published in the Gazette ; and

                            (iii)  the service is provided only to wholesale clients;

                      (i)  the person provides the service only to related bodies corporate of the person;

                      (j)  the person provides the service in the person's capacity as trustee of a self‑managed superannuation fund;

                     (k)  the provision of the service is covered by an exemption prescribed in regulations made for the purposes of this paragraph;

                      (l)  the provision of the service is covered by an exemption specified by ASIC in writing and published in the Gazette .

Note:          A defendant bears an evidential burden in relation to the matters in this subsection. See subsection 13.3(3) of the Criminal Code .

             (3)  Subparagraph (2)(f)(ix) only applies until whichever of these happens first:

                     (a)  the end of 6 months after the death of the licensee;

                     (b)  the removal or discharge of the personal representative;

                     (c)  the final distribution of the licensee's estate.

             (4)  A person is not exempt under any paragraph of subsection (2) for a financial service they provide if the service is the operation of a registered scheme.

             (5)  The exemption under paragraph (2)(ea), (eb) or (ec), or an exemption under subparagraph (2)(h)(ii) or under paragraph (2)(k) or (l), may apply unconditionally or subject to conditions:

                     (a)  in the case of the exemption under paragraph (2)(ea), (eb) or (ec), or an exemption under paragraph (2)(k)--specified in regulations made for the purposes of this paragraph; or

                     (b)  in the case of an exemption under subparagraph (2)(h)(ii) or under paragraph (2)(l)--specified by ASIC in writing published in the Gazette .

             (6)  In this section:

"information service" means:

                     (a)  a broadcasting service; or

                     (b)  an interactive or broadcast videotext or teletext service or a similar service; or

                     (c)  an online database service or a similar service; or

                     (d)  any other service identified in regulations made for the purposes of this paragraph.