How to find my ABN (Australian Business Number)?
Last updated: 16.10.2024
Searching for your Australian Business Number? Take a look at how to find your ABN online
Key takeaways
- An ABN is a unique 11-digit number assigned to Australian businesses for tax and other business purposes
- To find your ABN, check the Australian Business Register or official documentation sent to your business by the government
- ABN Lookup tool is the quickest way to search for your or anyone else’s ABN
If you are running a business in Australia, you may be required to get an ABN or an Australian Business Number. The ABN is issued by the Australian Tax Office (ATO) and helps identify your business to the government and other businesses.
If you don’t already have an ABN, you should check the eligibility requirements to see if you need to register for one.
If you already have an ABN, keep your registration number jotted down somewhere safe. You will need it when dealing with other businesses, generating invoices, or filing taxes.
Wondering how to find your ABN? Take a look.
Table of Contents
What is an ABN?
An ABN or Australian Business Number is a unique 11-digit number assigned to Australian businesses for tax and other business purposes.
Whether you have a retail business, an import business, an online store, or any other business, you may be required to get an ABN to ensure seamless operations. Getting an ABN also allows you to qualify for the Australian government’s tax benefits.
ABN is required for several purposes, including invoicing, trading and claiming Goods and Services Tax (GST) credit.
Who should apply for an ABN?
If you have a business in Australia, you may be required to get an ABN, regardless of the size or structure.
Typically, ABN is required by:
- Sole traders: Individuals who operate their business under their own name
- Companies: Registered companies
- Partnerships: Businesses that have two or more partners
- Trusts: Entities where a trustee manages the business on behalf of the trust’s members
- Non-profit: Charities and other associations
How to find your ABN?
There are several ways to find your ABN details, including:
- Check the Australian Business Register (ABR): It is the official database where you can find details about any registered ABN. You can use the ABN Lookup tool to find ABN details about any company in Australia. It’s possible to search businesses by their name, ABN, or ACN. S,o if you can’t find your ABN, you can type in your business name and find it.
According to the official Australian Business Register website, the ABN Lookup tool has served more than 1.1 billion searches in the last 10 months. Over 83% of these searches used the ABN Lookup web tool.
If the business has an ACN (Australian Company Number), you can check the ACN and find the linked ABN on the official ASIC website.
→ Take a look at our head-to-head ABN vs ACN comparison
- Look into official documentation: Another way to find your ABN is by checking the official documentation you received from the government. Typically, you will find the ABN details mentioned in any of the documents sent by the government to your business.
Note: Even if your ABN is inactive, you can still find it with the Lookup tool. To reactivate the ABN, you will have to submit an online application.
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How to perform an ABN check for other businesses
If you are partnering with a new business for the first time, you can also perform an ABN check on them to ensure their validity and authenticity.
Here are some of the many other benefits of performing an ABN check:
Tax compliance: It verifies that the business can legally invoice for its products or services and also claim GST credits through its ABN registration
Legal check: By ensuring the entity has an active ABN, you can verify that it is working within the law
Perform due diligence: Assessing the legitimacy of the business ensures they are a credible entity. ABN checks also reduce risks of financial losses and build more trustworthy relationships.
Prevent fraud: ABN checks can easily detect businesses not registered with the Australian government. This minimizes the risk of fraud, which could, in turn, cause financial loss and damage to reputation.
How to use the ABN Lookup tool
The quickest and easiest way to find your ABN or perform an ABN check on other businesses is through the ABN Lookup tool provided by the Australian Business Register.
Here’s how to use the tool:
- Go to the official ABR website to access the tool
- Enter the 11-digit ABN of the business to verify their identity. In case you don’t know the ABN or ACN, you can also search by the business’s name
- Look into the details of the business, including its name, registration status (active or inactive) and GST status. Even if you only know the ABN of the business, you can find the ACN attached to the ABN and confirm the details
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Disclaimer: The information contained is general only and largely our views. Before acting on the information you should consider whether it is appropriate for you, in light of your objectives, financial situation or needs. Although information has been obtained from and is based upon multiple sources the author believes to be reliable, we do not guarantee its accuracy and it may be incomplete or condensed. All opinions, estimates, mentioned products/services and referenced material constitute the author’s own judgement as of the date of the briefing and are subject to change without notice. WorldFirst shall not be responsible for any losses or damages arising from your reliance of such information.
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