How to Get an ABN: Free Application Steps (2026)

Quick answer: To get an ABN, apply free online through the Australian Business Register at abr.gov.au, or through a registered tax agent. You must be carrying on, or starting to carry on, an enterprise in Australia. You need your tax file number, personal and business details and your business activity. Most online applications get an ABN immediately.

An Australian Business Number (ABN) is the starting point for working for yourself in Australia. You need it to invoice clients properly, register for GST, and register a business name, and without it customers may have to withhold almost half of your payment. This guide explains how to get an ABN step by step, who is entitled, what to put on your invoices, and how no-ABN withholding works.

This is general information, not tax or legal advice. Check the ABR and ATO websites or a registered tax agent for your situation.

What is an ABN?

An ABN is a unique 11-digit number that identifies your business to the government and the community. It is issued by the Australian Business Register (ABR), which is run by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO). An ABN is different from your tax file number (TFN): the TFN is private and used for income tax, while the ABN is public and appears on invoices, quotes and websites. Anyone can check an ABN on ABN Lookup, which shows the entity's name, status, GST registration and business names.

Having an ABN does not on its own mean you are registered for GST, and it does not register a business name. Those are separate registrations, though you can do all three in one combined online application.

Who can get an ABN?

You are entitled to an ABN if you are carrying on, or starting to carry on, an enterprise in Australia, or making supplies connected with Australia's indirect tax zone. The term enterprise covers activities done in the form of a business, including sole traders, partnerships, companies and trusts, plus some activities such as leasing property on a regular basis.

Situation	Entitled to an ABN?
Freelancer or contractor running a business	Yes
Starting a business, even before the first sale	Yes, if you can show genuine steps toward trading
Employee doing work as an employee	No
Hobby, such as occasional sales of crafts with no profit motive	Generally no
Company, partnership or trust carrying on an enterprise	Yes, the entity applies in its own right
Ride-sourcing or taxi driver	Yes, and GST registration is also required

If you are unsure whether your activity is a business or a hobby, consider whether you intend to make a profit, whether the activity is regular and repeated, whether you operate in a businesslike way (records, insurance, a plan), and the size of the activity.

How to get an ABN: step by step

The application on the Australian Business Register website is free. Ignore websites that charge a fee to submit it for you, unless you are knowingly paying a tax agent for advice.

1. Check you are entitled. Use the questions above or the ABR entitlement information. If you are actually an employee, do not apply.
2. Choose your business structure. Most freelancers start as sole traders. Companies, partnerships and trusts need to be set up first, because the entity itself applies.
3. Get your documents ready. Sole traders need their TFN (strongly recommended, since applying without it is slower and can affect entitlement checks), date of birth, contact and address details, and a description of the main business activity. You may also need details of associates, such as partners or directors.
4. Apply online. Go to the ABR website and complete the application, or use Online services for business, or ask a registered tax agent to apply for you. Sole traders can sign in with their myID (formerly myGovID) to speed up identity checks.
5. Add GST and a business name if needed. The same application lets you register for GST and register a business name with ASIC (the business name has its own fee).
6. Record your ABN. If approved immediately, your ABN appears on screen. Otherwise, the Registrar will contact you, usually within 28 days.
7. Update your invoices and accounts. Add your ABN to your invoice template, email signature, website and platform profiles.

Keeping your ABN details up to date

You must update your ABN details within 28 days of a change, such as a new address, a new business activity, or a change in partners or directors. A few years after you stop trading, an out-of-date ABN can cause problems, so cancel it cleanly when the business ends.

Why does an ABN matter on invoices?

When you supply goods or services to another business, that business generally must withhold 47% of the payment and send it to the ATO if you do not quote your ABN. Quoting it on your invoice is the simplest way to avoid this. The ATO explains the rules and exceptions alongside its Statement by a supplier not quoting an ABN.

How no-ABN withholding works

The payer withholds 47% (the top marginal rate plus the Medicare levy) from the total payment and reports it on their activity statement. You can claim the amount withheld as a credit when you lodge your tax return, but you lose the use of that money until then. Withholding does not apply in some situations, including:

• the payment is $75 or less, excluding GST;
• the supplier is an individual and the supply is wholly private or domestic, such as a hobby;
• the supplier gives the payer a completed Statement by a supplier form explaining why they do not need to quote an ABN;
• the supplier is not carrying on an enterprise in Australia;
• the payment is for work done as an employee, which goes through payroll instead.

Worked example of no-ABN withholding

Jess, a freelance photographer, sends a $1,200 invoice to a marketing agency but forgets her ABN. If the agency cannot get the number from her by the time it pays, it must withhold 47%:

Item	Amount
Invoice total	$1,200.00
Withheld by payer (47%)	$564.00
Paid to Jess	$636.00

Jess gets the $564 back only as a credit against her income tax after she lodges her return. One line on her invoice would have avoided this.

What should an invoice with an ABN look like?

If you are not registered for GST, you issue a regular invoice (not a tax invoice), show your ABN, and do not add GST. Here is a sample:

Description	Qty	Rate	Amount
Event photography, half day	1	$650.00	$650.00
Image editing (hours)	4	$90.00	$360.00
Online gallery and download licence	1	$190.00	$190.00
Total (no GST, supplier not registered for GST)			$1,200.00

The header would show "Invoice", your name or business name, "ABN 12 345 678 901", the invoice number and date, the client's details, and payment terms. Once you register for GST, you issue tax invoices instead, with extra requirements covered in our Australian tax invoice requirements guide. Our GST registration guide for Australia explains when that switch happens.

You can add your ABN to the business details in the free invoice generator and reuse it on every invoice. For numbering, try the invoice number generator.

ABN vs TFN vs ACN vs business name: what is the difference?

New business owners often mix up the numbers and registrations involved. This table sets them side by side.

Identifier	What it is	Who issues it	Shown on invoices?
ABN (Australian Business Number)	11-digit public identifier for a business entity	Australian Business Register (ATO)	Yes
TFN (tax file number)	Private number for income tax	ATO	No, keep it private
ACN (Australian Company Number)	9-digit number for a registered company	ASIC	Companies show it on certain documents; a company's ABN usually contains its ACN
Business name	Registered trading name	ASIC	Yes, if you trade under it
GST registration	Status attached to your ABN	ATO	Shown by issuing tax invoices that include GST

Do you pay tax differently once you have an ABN?

An ABN does not create a new tax. As a sole trader you still lodge an individual tax return and pay tax on your business profit at your personal marginal rates, plus the Medicare levy. What changes is that nobody withholds tax from your invoices the way an employer withholds from wages, so you need to set money aside yourself. After you lodge a return showing business income, the ATO may put you into the pay as you go (PAYG) instalments system, which spreads the next year's tax across payments on your activity statement.

A practical approach is to move a fixed share of every payment into a separate savings account. Our guide on how much to set aside for taxes explains how to pick a percentage (it uses US examples, but the method is the same). If your clients are larger businesses, they may ask for your ABN, insurance details and bank account before your first job; having a ready independent contractor invoice layout makes onboarding smoother. Sole traders are generally not required to pay super for themselves, though contributing voluntarily can be tax-effective.

What else do you need after getting an ABN?

• GST registration if your GST turnover reaches $75,000 or you drive taxis or ride-sourcing vehicles.
• Business name registration with ASIC if you trade under a name other than your own.
• PAYG instalments may be required once you lodge a tax return showing business income above the ATO's entry thresholds.
• Superannuation obligations if you hire employees, including the Payday Super changes covered in our Payday Super 2026 guide.
• Records of income and expenses, kept for five years.

How do clients check your ABN?

Many businesses check a new supplier's ABN on ABN Lookup before paying the first invoice. The search shows whether the ABN is active, the legal entity name, any registered business names and whether the entity is registered for GST, with the date that registration started. If you issue a tax invoice that shows GST but ABN Lookup says you are not registered, the client cannot claim that GST and will usually ask you to reissue the invoice. Check your own listing after you apply and after any change, and make sure the name on your invoices matches the name on the register. If you work with overseas clients who are not familiar with Australian rules, a short note on the invoice such as "ABN 12 345 678 901, not registered for GST" removes guesswork. For examples of other invoice formats you can adapt, browse the contractor invoice template guide.

Common ABN mistakes

• Applying when you are really an employee. Applications can be refused, and accepting contractor terms for employee work can cost you super and leave entitlements.
• Leaving the ABN off invoices. This invites 47% withholding and delays payment.
• Charging GST when not registered. Having an ABN alone does not allow you to charge GST.
• Paying a third-party site for a free application. Apply directly on abr.gov.au.
• Forgetting to update or cancel. Changes must be updated within 28 days.
• Getting a new ABN for each side business. One sole trader, one ABN.

ABN checklist for new sole traders

• Confirm you are carrying on an enterprise, not working as an employee.
• Have your TFN, myID and business details ready.
• Apply free at abr.gov.au and record your ABN.
• Decide on GST registration and a business name.
• Put your ABN on every invoice and quote. Our guide on how to invoice as a sole proprietor covers the other essentials.
• Open a separate business bank account and start keeping records.

Now you know how to get an ABN, put it to work on professional invoices. Our invoice generator is free, needs no sign-up, builds your PDF in the browser and downloads it instantly, with your ABN on every page.