12 business hours98% of ABNs are issued inside that window
No minimumno income threshold before you need an ABN
26076969Registered Tax Agent, TPB verifiable
How it worksHow to apply for an ABN in Australia.
Most ABN applications are decided immediately. Ours is a flat $99 including GST, and
what the fee buys is a registered tax agent reading the application before it goes in. The reason that matters is the failure mode: an
application the ABR cannot match against your identity, or that describes an activity it does not
recognise, is not refused on the spot. It goes into a manual review queue that can take up to 28 days,
and there is nothing you can do to speed it up once it is in there. There is more on
how long an ABN actually takes and what pushes one
into that queue.
The form on this page asks the same questions the ABR asks, in the same order, with the answers
explained. It takes about five minutes. Nothing is uploaded and nothing is posted.
Answer the questionsAbout five minutes. Plain-English help on every step, and
1800 546 526 if you get stuck.
A tax agent reviews and lodgesA registered tax agent checks the application, fixes
anything off, and lodges it direct to the ABR.
Your ABN arrives by email98% are issued within 12 business hours. Email confirmation
first, and the ABR's own letter follows by post.
What the $99 actually buys
A registered tax agent reads the application
before it is lodged and fixes anything that would stall it, which is what keeps it out of the ATO's
manual review queue and is why almost all of them come back the same day. And somebody answers the
phone if the ABR comes back with a question.
Ready when you are. The first step is your name and whether you have traded
before. About ten seconds.
You need an ABN if you are carrying on a business. There is no minimum income before
that applies. The $75,000 figure people have usually heard is the GST registration threshold, which
is a separate registration with a separate test, and it is the single most common reason somebody decides
they do not need an ABN when they do.
What the ABR actually looks at is whether you are running a business rather than pursuing a hobby:
whether you intend to make a profit, whether the activity is repeated and organised, and whether you are
holding yourself out as being in business. One paid gig with no intention of doing another is not a
business. Driving for a rideshare platform every weekend is, from the first fare.
If you are not sure which side of that line you are on, call
1800 546 526 before you apply. That advice is free and it is a
two-minute conversation.
The two registrations people confuse
An ABNno income threshold
GST registration$75,000 turnover
GST for rideshare and taxi workfrom the first dollar
Both can be lodged in the one
application on this page. GST is an add-on at $27.50.
If you invoice without one
The business paying you is required to withhold 47% of the
payment and send it to the ATO. Limited exceptions apply, including where the payment is $75 or less
excluding GST. You would claim it back through your tax return, but you carry the shortfall until then.
Think you are carrying on a business? The form's second step is a short
eligibility check, and it will tell you if something does not add up.
What it costsWhat ABN registration costs, and what the fee is for.
A flat $99 including GST, tax deductible, with nothing taken until the last step of
the form. We are not the ATO and not the Australian Business Register. The fee is for a registered
tax agent reading the application before it is lodged, and the
full cost breakdown is on its own page.
Two registrations can be added to the same application rather than lodged separately later: GST at
$27.50 and PAYG withholding at $27.50. Ticking both is $55 on top. If you are not sure whether you need
either, leave them unticked; both can be added afterwards, and the phone advice on which you need is free.
The whole price list
ABN registration, agent lodged$99 inc GST
Add GST registration+$27.50
Add PAYG withholding+$27.50
Tax deductible as a business expense.
Nothing is charged until you have seen the summary and ticked the declaration.
Nothing is taken until the last step. You can fill the whole form in, read
the summary, and walk away.
What you'll needThe four things the form asks you for.
Your tax file number, your date of birth, your address, and a short description of
what the business does. That is the whole list. Nothing is uploaded, nothing is posted, and if you
have traded under another name before, have that name handy too.
The tax file number is the one worth having in front of you before you start. It is strongly
recommended rather than compulsory, and it is how the ATO matches the application to you. If you are
not sure how an ABN and a TFN differ, they are two separate numbers doing two separate jobs: applications
lodged without one almost always slow down, which defeats the point of paying an agent to keep it out of
the queue.
The business description trips people up more than it should. It does not need to be clever. Plain
words for what you actually do, of the kind you would say to somebody at a barbecue, match
the ABR's own activity list far more often than a job title does.
Before you start, have these to hand
Your tax file numberStrongly recommended. Without it, expect a delay.
Your date of birthUsed to match you on the register.
Your addressWhere the business operates from.
What the business doesA plain sentence, not a job title.
This form is for sole traders. If you are
registering for a company, trust or partnership, call 1800 546 526 and we will point you at the right
application.
Got those four? Then the form is about five minutes, and nothing is charged
until you have seen the summary.
After you receive your ABNWhat happens once it is on the register.
Your ABN appears on ABN Lookup the moment it issues, and anyone can check it there.
That public record is exactly what makes an invoice carrying your ABN trustworthy to a client who has
never met you, and it is why the details on it being right matters more than it first appears.
It is also one place to look rather than several. Your ABN, your GST status and any business names
registered with ASIC all show on ABN Lookup together, which is the record banks, platforms and customers
check you against.
One obligation comes with it that catches people out: ABR details must be updated within 28 days
of becoming aware of a change. That covers your address, your contact details and your main business
activity. The clock starts when you learn of the change, not when you get around to it, and it applies
whether or not you are trading that month. Business names are a separate register, run by ASIC, so
changing one of those does not update the other.
The other thing to keep an eye on is GST. An ABN does not register you for it. You must register
within 21 days of realising your GST turnover will reach $75,000, which is the part people get
wrong: the clock starts when you can see it coming, not when you pass it, so waiting for the bank
balance to confirm it means you are already late. GST turnover is your rolling twelve months of
business income, not your profit. The GST threshold calculator
will date it for you.
Rideshare and taxi work is the exception: GST applies from the first dollar, whatever the turnover.
Check any ABN: free, live from the register
Entity name, ABN status and GST
registration in seconds. Sceptical of us? Fair enough,
look up our own ABN.
QuestionsOther questions about registering an ABN.
How much does ABN registration cost?
Our agent-lodged application is a flat $99 including GST, tax deductible, with GST and PAYG registration available as add-ons in the same application ($27.50 each). The fee covers registered-tax-agent review before lodgement, same-day lodgement and phone support, with nothing taken until the last step of the form.
How long does it take to get my ABN?
Usually the same day, often within minutes, because agent review keeps applications out of the ATO’s 28-day manual review queue. The form itself takes about 5 minutes.
Do I need a TFN to register an ABN?
It’s strongly recommended: the TFN is how the ATO matches your identity, and applications without one almost always slow down. Have it handy when you apply.
Is ABN Assist a registered tax agent?
Yes. ABN Assist is operated by Australian Registration Office Pty Ltd, Registered Tax Agent 26076969, verifiable on the Tax Practitioners Board public register.
Do I need an ABN if I earn less than $75,000?
Yes, if you are carrying on a business. The $75,000 figure is the GST registration threshold, not an ABN threshold, and the two are separate. There is no minimum income before you need an ABN. What matters is whether you are running a business rather than pursuing a hobby.
Yes. Fees paid to a registered tax agent for managing your tax affairs are generally deductible, so the real after-tax cost is lower than $99.
What do I need to have on hand to apply?
Your tax file number, your date of birth, your address, and a short description of what the business does. If you have traded under another name previously, have that ready too. Nothing needs to be uploaded or posted.
What happens if I invoice without an ABN?
The business paying you is required to withhold 47% of the payment and send it to the ATO. Limited exceptions apply, including where the payment is $75 or less excluding GST. You would claim the withheld amount back through your tax return, but you carry the shortfall until then.
