You can cancel an ABN yourself for free through the Australian Business Register, and it usually takes effect immediately. The catch is sequencing: the ATO expects every outstanding activity statement, tax return and PAYG obligation to be lodged first, and you must cancel within 28 days of ceasing business. Cancel with lodgements outstanding and the obligations follow you anyway.
Do it in this order
- Lodge everything outstanding. Activity statements, income tax returns, PAYG withholding reports, taxable payments annual reports. Cancelling does not erase them.
- Cancel your other registrations first if they need to end on a different date — GST, PAYG withholding, fuel tax credits. Cancelling the ABN cancels these automatically, which is fine if they should all stop on the same day.
- Pay any outstanding ATO debt, or have a payment arrangement in place.
- Cancel the ABN, nominating the date you actually stopped trading.
- Deal with your business name separately. ASIC business names are not cancelled by cancelling an ABN, and a business name cannot survive without one.
When you have to cancel
The obligation is to cancel within 28 days of your business ceasing. In practice that means when you have stopped trading, sold the business, changed structure (a sole trader becoming a company needs a new ABN, not the old one), or the entity has been wound up.
You are not required to cancel just because income has gone quiet. If you intend to keep trading, keeping it open is legitimate — but the ATO cancels ABNs that show no business activity across consecutive years, which is a different mechanism and catches people out. If that has already happened to you, the fix is reactivation, not a new application.
What cancelling actually does
| What happens | |
|---|---|
| Your ABN | Marked cancelled on ABN Lookup. The number is retained against your record, not reissued to anyone else |
| GST, PAYG, fuel tax credits | Cancelled automatically from the same date |
| Outstanding lodgements | Still due. Cancellation does not close them out |
| Your ASIC business name | Not cancelled — you have to deal with ASIC separately |
| Getting it back | Possible. If you start trading again you can reactivate, often on the same number |
The traps
- Cancelling because work went quiet. If you will invoice again this year, cancelling means payers must withhold 47% from you in the meantime.
- Backdating too far. You nominate the cancellation date, but it should be the date you genuinely stopped. A date that contradicts income already reported under the ABN invites a question.
- Forgetting the business name. It sits at ASIC, keeps renewing, and keeps charging you.
- Cancelling the wrong ABN. If you have held more than one, check the number on ABN Lookup before you lodge anything.
Doing it yourself, or having it done
If your lodgements are current and you know your cancellation date, the free route at the ABR is genuinely the right answer, and it is the one most people should take. Where a registered tax agent earns the fee is the messier version: outstanding activity statements, an ABN you are not certain is the right one, a structure change where the timing of the cancellation affects your return, or a cancellation the ATO has already applied without telling you.
We look the ABN up first so you are cancelling the right entity, check what is outstanding, then lodge it — $99 including GST, tax deductible.
Common questions
How much does it cost to cancel an ABN?
Nothing, if you do it yourself through the Australian Business Register — there is no government fee to cancel an ABN. Our agent-lodged cancellation is $99 including GST and tax deductible, which covers looking the ABN up first, checking what is outstanding and lodging it for you.
How long does it take to cancel an ABN?
Usually immediately. Once lodged, the ABN shows as cancelled on ABN Lookup, and your GST and PAYG registrations end from the same date. What takes time is the part before it — clearing outstanding lodgements.
Can I cancel an ABN with outstanding tax returns or BAS?
You can lodge the cancellation, but it does not clear the obligations. Outstanding activity statements and returns remain due after the ABN is cancelled, and the ATO will still pursue them. Lodge first, then cancel.
What happens if I cancel my ABN by mistake?
You can apply to reactivate it, and where you are still entitled to an ABN you will usually get the same number back rather than a new one. See our page on reactivating a cancelled ABN.
Does cancelling my ABN cancel my business name?
No. Your business name is registered with ASIC, not the ABR, and it survives the ABN being cancelled — it will keep renewing and charging you. A business name also cannot be held without a linked ABN, so cancel it with ASIC separately.
Do I have to cancel my ABN if I stop working for a while?
No. There is no minimum income and no requirement to cancel during a quiet patch, as long as you still intend to carry on an enterprise. Be aware the ATO cancels ABNs that show no business activity over consecutive years, so if you are pausing rather than stopping, keep your lodgements current.
Want it checked before it is cancelled? $99.
We look the ABN up first, tell you what is outstanding, then lodge it. Free help on 1800 546 526.