Canva slapped with $792,000 fine after failing to lodge results on time

Graphic design giant Canva has been slapped with $792,000 in penalties after the corporate regulator alleged four companies within the group failed to lodge financial reports on time.

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission issued $198,000 infringement notices to Canva Pty Ltd, Canva Operations, Canva Trading and Fusion Books after they allegedly missed the April 30, 2025, deadline for reports covering the year to December 31, 2024.

Canva Pty Ltd lodged its consolidated FY24 report for the four companies on March 27, 2026, almost 11 months late.

Payment of an infringement notice is not an admission of guilt or liability.

The notice comes as investors focus on Canva’s long-expected public listing.

The online design and publishing platform has been weighing a possible 2027 IPO after valuing itself at $US42 billion ($60b) in an employee share sale last August.

The WA-born, now Sydney-based tech unicorn has also kept buying in a tougher market for tech stocks.

Earlier in April, it snapped up Simtheory, an AI collaboration and agent management platform, and Ortto, a customer data and marketing automation business, for an undisclosed sum.

But Canva is pursuing growth against a harsher market backdrop. Software valuations have been savaged in 2026, with some stocks falling by as much as 90 per cent as investors reassess growth expectations amid AI disruption.

ASIC said financial reporting failures were a 2026 enforcement priority, with 21 infringement notices worth more than $4 million issued for alleged FY24 breaches.

Commissioner Kate O’Rourke said companies with reporting obligations must ensure financial reports are lodged within the required timeframes.

“Both non-lodgment and late lodgement prevents creditors and other users of the reports from making timely and informed decisions when dealing with these companies and is a failure of their legal obligations,” Ms O’Rourke said.