How to Get an ABN in Australia (Free, Step by Step)

Short answer: To get an ABN, apply online through the Australian Government’s Business Registration Service at register.business.gov.au, or through the Australian Business Register at abr.gov.au. It’s free, and any website that asks you to pay is not the government service. You need your tax file number, a physical business address and a description of what you do, and you must be running or starting a genuine business. If your details check out, the ABN is usually issued straight away; if not, it can take up to 28 days.

An Australian Business Number (ABN) is issued by the Australian Business Register (ABR), and this guide is written for an individual applying as a sole trader in the 2026–27 income year. If you’re still deciding how to set up, start with how to become a sole trader in Australia. If you already have an ABN and have lost it, how to find your ABN is quicker.

Are you entitled to an ABN?

You can only get an ABN if you’re carrying on, or starting, an enterprise. That means a genuine business, not a job and not a hobby. The ABR’s entitlement rules look for activity that is:

• commercial: you sell goods or services on a reasonable size and scale
• aimed at profit: you can show you mean to make money, for example with a business plan
• repeated and systematic: it’s organised and run in a business-like way, with records kept
• like other businesses: it’s carried on much as others in the same industry carry on theirs

The ABR’s sole trader page confirms that an individual carrying on an enterprise is entitled to an ABN.

Employees are not entitled. The ABR says you can’t get an ABN for work you do as an employee, including as an apprentice, trade assistant or labourer, even if you or the employer calls it contracting. An employer shouldn’t make getting an ABN a condition of a job. If you’re not sure which side of the line you’re on, read contractor vs employee in Australia before you apply. The ABR also warns that you may face prosecution if you get an ABN, register for GST and claim GST refunds when you’re not entitled to.

How much does it cost to register an ABN?

Nothing. The ABR does not charge a fee to apply for an ABN, whether you apply online or on paper.

That’s worth knowing because searches like “ABN registration” often turn up private websites that look official and charge a fee to submit the same free form. The ATO has also warned about fake websites that offer TFNs and ABNs for a fee and then don’t deliver them, often advertised on social media. A few checks protect you:

• Check the address. Australian Government websites always end in .gov.au. Type register.business.gov.au or abr.gov.au yourself rather than clicking an ad.
• Don’t pay to apply. If a page asks for card details before you get an ABN, close it.
• Use a registered agent if you want help. A tax agent may charge for their time, which is legitimate. The ATO advises checking that they’re registered with the Tax Practitioners Board.

What do you need before you apply for an ABN?

Have the following ready. The ABR lists the full set on its what you need page.

What you need	Detail
Tax file number	Your own individual TFN. As a sole trader you use it for both your business and your personal tax
Contact details	Business address, postal address, email and phone
Email address	No spaces, and it can’t start with “support@”, “sales@” or “info@“
Main business address	A physical street address. A PO box or your tax agent’s address won’t do
Business activity	A description of your main source of income, for example “residential painting”
Date the ABN is needed	The date you expect to start trading, no more than six months ahead
Business locations	The physical address of every premises you trade from

Include your TFN. The ABR says applications are processed faster when it can identify you from the details you give, such as your TFN.

How do you apply for an ABN, step by step?

With the details above to hand, you work through one online form.

1. Open the official service. Go to the Business Registration Service, or start from business.gov.au’s ABN page. Both are free government services.
2. Choose your registrations. Select an ABN. You can add a business name and GST in the same application, which is covered below.
3. Choose your structure. Pick sole trader (individual). Partnerships, companies and trusts answer different questions.
4. Enter your identity and TFN. Your own TFN, as a sole trader; there is no separate business one.
5. Describe the business. Give the activity, start date, main business address and locations. Be specific about what you actually do.
6. Answer the entitlement questions honestly. These are the enterprise tests above.
7. Submit and save the result. Write down the ABN or the reference number you’re given, and keep the confirmation.

How long does it take to get an ABN?

Usually no time at all. If you give all the information needed and it can be verified, you’ll normally see your ABN on screen when you finish the application.

If something is missing or can’t be verified, the ABN isn’t issued immediately. The application is then processed by hand and can take up to 28 days. In that case you’ll get a reference number. The ABR aims to review the application within 20 business days and will contact you if it needs more information. Once it’s approved, a letter confirming your ABN follows within 14 days. Until then, a reference number is not an ABN, so don’t quote it on invoices.

Should you register a business name and GST at the same time?

Only if you need them. An ABN identifies you; it doesn’t give you a trading name and it doesn’t register you for GST.

Registration	When you need it	Cost
ABN	Before you invoice as a business	Free
Business name (ASIC)	Only if you trade under a name other than your own, such as “Northside Tiling”	A fee, set by ASIC and indexed every 1 July
GST	When GST turnover reaches $75,000, current or projected	Free
GST for ride-sourcing	Before your first trip, whatever you earn	Free

The GST rule is the one that causes trouble. You must register for GST within 21 days once your GST turnover reaches $75,000. That’s either this month plus the previous 11, or this month plus the next 11 if you expect to reach it. Turnover means gross income, not profit. Ride-sourcing drivers must register before their first trip, regardless of income. Once you’re registered for GST, you’ll lodge a BAS. What a BAS is explains what that involves.

What happens after you get your ABN?

Your ABN, a unique 11-digit number, becomes searchable on ABN Lookup. Your clients can check it there, and you should check theirs. Four things follow.

• Put it on every invoice. If a supplier doesn’t quote an ABN and a payment for goods or services is more than $75 excluding GST, the payer generally has to withhold the top rate of tax, which is 47%, and send it to the ATO. How to invoice as a sole trader covers everything else that goes on the invoice.
• Keep your details current. You must update your ABN details within 28 days of becoming aware of a change, such as a new address or a different main activity.
• Cancel it when you stop. An ABN you no longer use should be cancelled, not left active. Cancelling or updating an ABN explains how, and what happens to GST and BAS.
• Declare the income. A sole trader has no separate business tax return. Business income goes on your individual return, at ordinary rates.

What do you need to record from day one, and where does Keel fit?

Once you have an ABN, the paperwork starts with your first job: the quote, the invoice, the receipts for materials and the kilometres you drove to get there. You’ll need all of it at BAS time and at tax time.

Keel: Invoice Maker & Receipts, by Ilura Technology OÜ, is an iPhone app for keeping those records. You write estimates, and an accepted estimate becomes the invoice in one tap. Every quote, receipt, expense and invoice is filed under its job. You also log business mileage, and a “who owes you” list drafts payment reminders that you review and send yourself. Nothing is sent automatically. Records stay on your iPhone: there’s no account, no bank connection and no cloud sync, and the App Store privacy label reads “Data Not Collected”.

Keel doesn’t apply for ABNs, register you for GST, lodge anything or connect to the ATO. It keeps the records those things depend on. It’s free to use with no invoice limit, and free invoices carry a small “Made with Keel” footer. Keel Lifetime is a one-time purchase ($249.99 USD; the App Store shows your local price) that adds custom branding, a signature, premium templates and accountant-ready exports. Keel on the App Store. The Australia guides cover GST, BAS and tax next.

Frequently asked questions

Is it free to apply for an ABN? Yes. The Australian Business Register charges no fee to apply for an ABN, online or on paper. Websites that charge you to “register your ABN” are private services or scams, not the government. Apply yourself at register.business.gov.au or abr.gov.au, and check that the address ends in .gov.au before you enter your TFN.

How long does it take to get an ABN? Usually it’s immediate. If you give all the required information and the ABR can verify your identity, your ABN normally appears when you finish the online application. If details are missing or can’t be verified, the application is processed by hand and can take up to 28 days. You’ll get a reference number in the meantime, and the ABR may contact you.

Can I get an ABN if I am an employee? Not for that work. The ABR says you aren’t entitled to an ABN for work you do as an employee, including as an apprentice, trade assistant or labourer, even if it’s called contracting. An employer shouldn’t ask you to get an ABN as a condition of employment. You can still hold an ABN for a genuine business you run on the side.

Do I need an ABN to work as a sole trader? In practice, yes. No law makes you hold one, but if you don’t quote an ABN and a payment is more than $75 excluding GST, your client generally has to withhold 47% and send it to the ATO. You also need an ABN before you can register for GST. Applying is free, so there’s little reason to trade without one.

How many digits is an ABN? An ABN is a unique 11-digit number that identifies your business to government and the public. It’s made up of a 9-digit identifier with two check digits in front. Your ABN is not your tax file number. As a sole trader you keep using your personal TFN, and the ABN sits alongside it on invoices.

Can I apply for an ABN before I start trading? Yes, as long as you’re genuinely starting an enterprise. The application asks for the date you need the ABN from, and that date can’t be more than six months ahead. Apply when your plans are concrete, for example once you’ve lined up your first clients, so that you can show the activity is a real business rather than an idea.

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This article is general information, not tax advice. Consult a qualified Australian tax professional.