How to get an ABN: the free application, step by step

Who is entitled to an ABN

Applying is free and done online. Here is who is entitled, how to fill in the application, how long it takes, and what is left to do once you have your number.

An ABN is issued to those who carry on an enterprise in Australia: a sole trader, a company, a partnership, a trust. An employee is not entitled to one, even when working regularly for the same employer, and neither is a hobby.

A sole trader has a single ABN for all their activities. A company, a partnership or a trust has its own number:

How to apply, step by step

1. Gather your details: your tax file number (TFN) if you are a sole trader, the address and start date of the business, a description of what it does, and for a company, partnership or trust, the details of the directors, partners or trustees.
2. For a company, register it first: it gets a 9-digit ACN, which its ABN will contain.
3. Fill in the online application on the Australian Government Business Registration Service. You can register for GST and a business name in the same application.
4. Keep the reference number of your application until your ABN arrives.

How long it takes and what it costs

An ABN is free. Many applications get their number straight away, at the end of the form. When details need to be checked, the answer can take a few weeks, and you may be asked for documents.

Once you have your ABN

Three steps often follow:

• GST: registration is required once your yearly GST turnover reaches A$75,000, or A$150,000 for a non-profit organisation.
• Business name: if you trade under a name other than your own or your company's, you must register it separately, for a fee.
• Updates: any change (address, activity, associates) must be reported within 28 days. When the business stops, the ABN must be cancelled.

Check an ABN

To check the ABN of a customer or a supplier, type its name or number in the ABN lookup: the page shows whether the ABN is active, the type of entity, the state and the postcode. A well-formed number can belong to a closed business: check the status before you pay.

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