Free ABN lookup
Enter an ABN or a business name. You get entity type, GST registration and its start date, state, postcode and every business name recorded against it — live from the Australian Business Register.
What each field means
- ABN status
- Active or Cancelled, and the date the current status took effect. A cancelled ABN is not necessarily a closed business, but it is a business that cannot legally invoice without GST withheld.
- Entity type
- The legal structure: sole trader, private company, trust, partnership and so on. A company rather than a bare sole trader usually means a larger set-up and a bigger first order.
- GST
- Whether the business is registered for GST, and from when. Registration is compulsory above $75,000 of turnover a year and optional below it.
- Business names
- Trading names registered against the ABN with ASIC. One ABN can carry several.
Questions
Where does this data come from?
The Australian Business Register, the Australian Government's own record of every ABN. We query it live when you press look up — nothing on this page is cached or reconstructed. It is the same source that fills in entity type, GST status and state on every lead in our weekly briefing.
Is this the official ABN Lookup?
No. This is a free tool run by JustRegistered, a private company with no affiliation to ASIC, the ABR or any government body. It reads the same public register. For the official record, use abr.business.gov.au.
Why does an ABN come back as invalid before it is even searched?
An ABN carries a check digit, so ten of the eleven digits determine the eleventh. We run that check first. If it fails, the number as typed cannot be any real ABN, and telling you that is more useful than searching for it and returning nothing.
Can I search by business name instead?
Yes. Type a name rather than eleven digits and the tool searches the register's recorded names, returning matching businesses with their ABN, state and status. To search what has been registered recently, use the business name search tool instead.
Does GST status mean the business charges GST?
It means the business is registered for GST, which businesses must do once turnover reaches $75,000 a year, and may do voluntarily before that. Registering on day one is one of the strongest signals a new business expects real turnover, which is why it carries the most weight in our readiness score.
Is there a limit on how many lookups I can do?
Not from us. This tool is free and needs no account. The Australian Business Register is a courtesy service and does have its own capacity limits, so please be reasonable with it.