You apply for an ABN online, one form, about 5 minutes, and most ABNs issue the same day. You’ll need your name, date of birth, TFN (recommended), your business activity and address. Apply directly with the Australian Business Register for free, or have a registered tax agent review and lodge it for a flat $99 inc GST, with GST and PAYG registration available in the same application ($27.50 each).
What you’ll need
- Identity: legal name, date of birth, and ideally your TFN, it’s optional on paper, but applications without one are far more likely to stall in manual review
- Business activity: a plain description of what you’ll do (“rideshare driving”, “freelance design”, “carpentry”)
- Addresses: where the business operates and where mail should go
- Start date: today is fine. ABNs can’t be backdated more than 6 months
Sole trader, partnership or company?
Most people applying for their first ABN are sole traders. You, trading under your own name (or a registered business name), keeping the profits and paying tax at personal rates. That’s what our standard application covers. Partnerships and companies have different registration paths, call us first and we’ll point you the right way, free. Not sure you need an ABN at all? Start here.
The three ways applications go wrong
- Identity mismatch, the name/DOB/TFN combination doesn’t line up with ATO records (middle names and maiden names are the classic culprits). Result: 28-day manual review.
- Wrong entitlement answers, the ABR asks whether you’re carrying on an enterprise; answer it wrong and you’re refused, and re-applications get extra scrutiny.
- Forgetting the add-ons, needing GST (rideshare drivers: from dollar one) or PAYG later means a second round of paperwork. One application should catch everything.
Agent review exists to catch all three before lodgement, it’s the difference between “same day” and “sometime this month”. See pricing or how long an ABN takes.
Common questions
How do I apply for an ABN as a sole trader?
Complete one online application with your identity details (TFN recommended), your business activity and address, and the date you’re starting. Our registered tax agents review it before lodgement. Most applications come back the same day. Start on the homepage form; it takes about 5 minutes.
What do I need to apply for an ABN?
Your legal name and date of birth, your Tax File Number (strongly recommended, applications without a TFN are far more likely to be delayed for manual review), what your business does, and where it operates from. If you want a business name, GST or PAYG as well, one application covers the lot.
Can I apply for an ABN for free?
Yes, the Australian Business Register lets you apply directly at no cost, and if your situation is simple that works fine. People use us because a registered tax agent checks the application before it’s lodged (the common rejection traps are avoidable), can add GST and PAYG registration in the same application, and answers the phone when something goes sideways. Our fee is a flat $99 inc GST, tax deductible.
How long does the ABN application take?
The form takes about 5 minutes. If your identity details match cleanly, the ABN is typically issued the same day, often within minutes of lodgement. Mismatched details push applications into ATO manual review, which can take up to 28 days; agent review exists to keep you out of that queue.
Do I need a separate application for GST?
No, tick GST in the same application and we register it at the same time ($27.50 add-on). Registering for GST is required once your turnover passes $75,000, or immediately if you drive for Uber, DiDi or other ride-share platforms (taxi travel rules apply from the first dollar).
Ready to sort your ABN? 5 minutes.
Reviewed by registered tax agents, lodged same day, free help on 1800 546 526.