A free ABN checker that explains every line
Type an ABN, ACN or business name and see its status, GST registration, entity type and business names, with each line of the result explained below.
Guides that go deeper on your result
Each guide takes one part of the result and explains it in plain words, with the next step at the end.
How to check an ABN
The steps from finding the number on an invoice to reading the result against it.
What ABN status means
What active and cancelled tell you, and how the date beside the status works.
Search by business name
Only have a name? Narrow a common name by postcode, state, status, entity type and GST.
Check an ABN's format
How the check digit rule works in words, and why a valid format isn't the same as registered.
How an ABN search works, from the box to the source line
Checking an ABN number takes a few moments. Here's what happens in order, and what to look at at each step.
Type into one search box
Enter an ABN, an ACN or a business name. The same box handles all three, so you don't need to pick a search type first.
Catch a typo before you search
As you type a number, the box runs the check digits. A missing, extra or swapped digit gets flagged straight away, so you can fix it from the invoice.
Read status and GST first
These two lines answer the questions most people arrive with. Is the ABN active, and is the business registered for GST from a date before your invoice?
Match the result to the paperwork
Find the invoice name in the business names line. Check the entity type and location fit the business you think you're dealing with.
Note the source line
The last line names the register the data came from and when we retrieved it. If you need more, open the fuller record from the result.
No sign-up, no account.
Active, cancelled or not registered for GST: what to do next
Pick the result in front of you. Each tab says what it tells you and the sensible next step.
Straight answers after an ABN search
Frequently Asked Questions
- Why does the name differ from the invoice?
- Usually because the invoice shows a trading name and the register shows the legal name. A sole trader's ABN sits in their own name, and one ABN can hold several business names. Look for the invoice name in the business names line. If it isn't there, ask the supplier on a number you already have.
- What does the status date mean?
- It's the date the current status took effect. For an active ABN, it shows when the current active period started. For a cancelled ABN, it shows when the cancellation took effect, so compare it with the date on the invoice.
- How current is the result?
- Every result shows when we retrieved it, on the source line at the bottom. Register records change, so treat a result as a snapshot of that moment. If time has passed since you last checked, or you're about to make a larger payment, check again.
- Does an active ABN mean I should pay?
- Not on its own. An active ABN is one check, not a verdict on the business. Also confirm the name matches, GST is right for what's charged, the invoice has the details it needs and the bank details haven't changed. Our results are a check of public register records, not advice.
- Why did the box reject my number?
- The digits you typed can't form a real ABN or ACN, based on the check digit rule. Copied numbers often pick up a stray digit or lose one. Go back to the invoice and type it again slowly.
- Can I search by ACN or business name here?
- Yes. The same search box takes an ABN, an ACN or a business name. A name search can be narrowed by postcode, state, ABN status, entity type and GST registered only, which helps when a common name returns many matches.
- Where does the data come from?
- Results use Australian Business Register ABN data and ASIC company and business names data, released by the Australian Government under the Creative Commons Attribution licence. We're independent and not part of the ABR, the ATO or ASIC.
Invoice in front of you? Check the ABN now.
Type the number or the business name and read the result with this page beside you.