ABN Lookup

What is an ABN and why does it matter?

An Australian Business Number (ABN) is an 11-digit public identifier assigned by the Australian Business Register (ABR) to every business entity operating in Australia. Whether you are a sole trader, a company, a trust, or a partnership, you need an ABN to issue tax invoices, claim GST credits, and interact with the ATO.

What this tool looks up

This tool queries the ABR directly and returns:

• Entity name — the registered legal name of the business
• ABN status — Active or Cancelled, and since when
• Entity type — Company, Sole Trader, Trust, Partnership, Government, etc.
• ACN — the ASIC Company Number, if the entity is a registered company
• GST registration — whether the entity is registered for GST, and from when
• Address — state and postcode (full address is not public)
• Business names — any registered trading names separate from the legal name

How to read an ABN

ABNs are 11 digits, typically displayed in the format XX XXX XXX XXX. The first two digits are a checksum used to detect transcription errors. The remaining nine digits are derived from the entity's ACN (for companies) or are a unique ATO-assigned number (for other entity types).

ABN vs ACN vs TFN

When to check an ABN

You should verify an ABN before paying a supplier invoice, to confirm the business is legitimately registered and, if they charge GST, that they are actually GST-registered. Paying GST to an unregistered business means you cannot claim the GST credit. The ATO recommends checking ABNs on the ABR before processing any payment that includes GST.

Data sourced from the Australian Business Register (ABR). Not financial or legal advice.