Australian Business Numbers
What Is An ABN Number
Do I Need One?
Australian Business Numbers or ABN's are required by anyone who is operating an ‘enterprise’ within Australia. You will also need an ABN if you wish to register for the GST – Goods and Services Tax.
The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) applies specific criteria that determines if you are an ‘enterprise’, if you just have a hobby, or if you are an employee or contractor.
Do I need an ABN?
Note:
You can have an ABN without registering for the GST. But in order to register for the GST you must have an Australian Business Number. There are also certain types of businesses that MUST register for the GST so make sure you do your homework to see if you are one of them.
Your ABN Number
and How to Get One
To obtain an ABN you need to contact the Australian Taxation Office. The ATO administer these numbers through their Australian Business Register.You can contact the
Australian Business Register
by phone by calling 132866. Or visit their web site. If you choose the website option:
on the left hand navigation bar select the second tab which says Apply for Australian Business Number. This will take you to the ATO Privacy Statement for online transactions. You can also find out more about the
ABN Lookup.
At the bottom of the privacy statement page is a box marked ‘I have read this statement’. Selecting this option will take you on to applying for an ABN. The top of the page relates to partnerships, companies and trusts etc. If you will be operating as a sole trader continue further down the page for information relating to individuals. If you are required to register you can begin your application using the link that is provided on that page.
More About the ABN Lookup
When you register for an ABN some of the details that you provide will be made available to the public. Some will be kept private. The ABN lookup lets you search for a particular business or business owner based on the information that was provided in their application. You can either search by name or do an ABN search. For more information about what is kept private and what is made available to the public please see the
ATO Privacy Statement
To obtain an ABN you will need to answer a series of questions.
One of the questions you will be asked is the type of business you will be operating. If you’re unsure at this stage you can still get an ABN. You just need to contact the ATO again once the nature of your business has been decided. The ATO will then update your records with the new details.
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