Help Centre

An Australian Business Number (ABN) is a unique 11 digit number that identifies your business to the government and community. The ABN is provided by the Australian Business Register (ABR).

The ABN does not replace the tax file number.

No. The Australian Company Number (ACN) is a nine-digit number issued by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC). It is a unique identifier purely for companies, unlike an ABN which is issued to all entities conducting a business.

There are multiple benefits to having an ABN. For example:

• Payment – if included on your invoices, your clients will not be required to deduct PAYG withholding tax of 47%.
• Authority – it provides clients with the confirmation that yours is an established business
• GST Registration – if you want or need to register for GST then an ABN is required.
• Banking – you will need an ABN to open a business bank account

Patricia Holdings can assist you with applying for an ABN. Simply complete our online form, providing all the necessary details and we will handle the rest!

When you order your company or trust from us and also want an ABN or TFN, our online system auto-completes the application with information from your company or trust to save you time re-typing the same information. You can even use our online system to apply for an ABN or TFN if you didn’t order your company or trust from us. Most importantly, an experienced Patricia Holdings staff member will review your application prior to its final submission to the Australian Taxation Office, ensuring any problems with your application are identified early on saving you time and money correcting them later.

Provided you have given us all of the relevant information and the ABR has not flagged any information as needing review, Patricia Holdings are able to have your ABN to you immediately after lodging the application.

If information is missing or the ABR is not able to verify it, there will be a delay as your application will be processed manually which can take up to 28 days.

Only when an ABN has been issued by the ABR will the public details about the ABN become available on the ABN Lookup.

If your ABN is deemed as requiring a manual review, the ABR will be in touch with you within 28 days. However we advise contacting the ABR directly to follow up with your application.

We can also communicate with the ABR on your behalf to find out what further information is needed but they usually prefer to resolve the issues over the phone with the authorised contacts of the business, which also helps to expedite the ABN granting process.

No. The ABN is a unique identifier for every business. The new company must register for a new ABN.

Yes you can conduct any number of activities/businesses under the same ABN provided that they are all operating under the same business structure.

If your second or subsequent businesses operate under a different structure, you will need to apply for separate ABNs for each new business structure.

Unfortunately no, our system is not currently integrated to run both applications concurrently. To get an ACN, our system needs to speak with ASIC, whereas to get an ABN, we have to apply to the ABR, a separate government entity.

Providing the Tax File Numbers (TFNs) for associate individuals and/or organisations of the company currently applying for an ABN is a way to expedite the process, however the ABR does not require the TFN’s to validate a person’s identity. In some circumstances, their address will suffice if it is the same address currently listed on their TFN documents. In our experience however, if an associate individual or organisation does not provide their TFN, or their details  don’t match TFN documents, we have found that an ABN will either be refused at the time of submitting the application or the company can face delays in getting their ABN - sometimes up to 28 days. It is for this reason, while it is not mandatory, we do strongly suggest providing the TFNs.

For ABN applications that include associated foreign persons or organisations, there can be significant delays from the ABR's end in obtaining the ABN.

The only way to verify a foreign person’s identity is to have copies of their identification documents certified by a Notary Public of their country of residence posted to the ABR - they cannot be scanned and emailed. The certification must be pen to paper. To certify a foreign organisation, the ABR requires their country's equivalent of ASIC's Certificate of Registration posted to them. Along with these documents, the company applying for the ABN will also need to include a statement of business activities that the ABR can review.

Once this package is received by the ABR, they will be able to verify the foreign entities identity and as such, provide the ABN.

We will need information regarding:

ABN/TFN Registration:

• Details of the entity including name and contact details
• The business’ general activities
• Authorised contact details (these are the individuals who are permitted to liaise with the ATO on behalf of the entity)
• Associate details (these are the individuals and organisations who play a role in the entity)
  • Associate Individuals
    - Legal name
    - Date of birth
    - Position(s)
    - TFN or residential address
  • Associate Organisations:
    - Legal name
    - ACN, ARBN or ABN if applicable
    - TFN or address and date of registration

GST Registration:

• Estimated annual sales turnover
• Desired GST reporting period (monthly, quarterly or annually)
  NB not all options are available to all entities.

PAYG Registration:

• Estimated number of employees (including directors receiving a salary)
• Estimated amount of income tax to be withheld

Any entity that plans to make an income will need to register for a TFN. If you are unsure, we suggest seeking professional legal or financial advice prior to lodging your application.

A tax file number (TFN) is a unique identifier issued by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) to each taxpaying entity – individuals, companies, SMSFs, partnerships and trusts. TFNs were initially introduced to facilitate file tracking at the ATO but have since been expanded to encompass income and other data matching. They are a 9 digit number and may only be recorded or used specifically for authorised tax-related purposes.

There are two methods of accounting for GST – cash and accrual.

Accounting for GST on a cash basis means you account for GST in the period that you receive the money or make the payment. You can only use the cash accounting method if you are a small business entity earning an aggregated turnover of less than $10 million, are not carrying on a business but your turnover is $2 million or less, account for income tax on a cash basis and/or you run a kind of enterprise that the ATO has agreed can account for GST on a cash basis regardless of turnover.

The alternative accounting method, accrual accounting, means that you account for GST during the period that you issued the invoice or were billed, regardless of whether payment has been received or made.

If your entity’s turnover is $75,000 or greater per year (or $150,000 for non-profit organisations), or you provide taxi travel including ride-sourcing, you will need to register for GST.

If you earn less than the GST threshold, you may also apply voluntarily. Many businesses do this to take advantage of the GST credits available.

Goods and Services Tax (GST) is a broad-based tax of 10% on most goods, services and other items sold or consumed in Australia. Entities registered for GST will include GST in the price they charge which is to be remitted to the ATO on a periodic basis, and claim credits from the ATO for the GST they have paid for goods and services they buy.

If your entity plans to pay salaries and wages (including to Directors), you will need to register for PAYG.

Employers have a role to play in helping their employees meet their end of year tax liabilities. This is done by collecting Pay As You Go (PAYG) withholding amounts from payments in the form of salaries and wages. The withheld amounts are remitted by the employer directly to the ATO.

Go to: asic.gov.au/online-services/electronic-lodgement-protocol/

Yes. You can register a business name with Patricia Holdings online here, or by downloading and completing a paper form available here.

You do not need to have set this entity up with Patricia Holdings initially.

Once we receive your order form we will register r your business name on your behalf. Assuming the name is available; in most cases we are able to confirm the registration of your name on the same day and often in as little as an hour.

Yes, you can. Whoever owns the business name will need to be either a Director or a shareholder of the new company being incorporated. At the time of incorporation you will need to quote the ABN of the entity that holds the Business Name.

Renewing a business name can be done directly with ASIC via your ASIC Connect account. If you don’t have an ASIC Connect account you are able to create one at https://asic.gov.au/ by clicking on the blue “ASIC Connect” button.

You must have already received your business name renewal notice in order to renew the business name. Via ASIC Connect you are able to renew the name for either a one or three year period, pay for the renewal and request an invoice.

You can find more information about renewing a business name on the ASIC website

Yes. If ASIC cancel a business name as a result of unpaid renewal fees, you are able to apply to ASIC directly to have the business name re-instated. For 6 months following the cancellation ASIC will not allow anyone else to register the same business name.

A business name is a name, other than its legal name, by which an entity can trade or be recognised.

Once registered, the business name appears on the public register so people can identify the individuals, companies, registered bodies or other organisations that hold the business name.

If you choose to operate as a sole trader, partnership or a trust then you will need to register your business name with the Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC) unless you trade under:

• your own individual name; or
• all of the individual names of the partners in a partnership

If you are not sure whether you need to register a business name, or need help to choose the right structure for your business, you may wish to obtain advice from a professional advisor such as a lawyer or accountant.

The obligation to register a business name is entirely separate to any steps that business owners may take to protect any intellectual property rights in a name or brand, such as registering a trademark.

• Any entity with an ABN.

  This could be:

  • an individual (for example, a sole trader)
  • an incorporated entity, including an Australian registered company (has an ACN), an Australian registered body (has an ARBN) or other incorporated entity (no ACN or ARBN)
  • an unincorporated entity, including a trust, superannuation fund or unincorporated body or association
  • a partnership or joint venture partnership, or
  • a joint venture.

You can register a business name for either 1 year or 3 years. Patricia Holdings takes the hassle out of the registration process and we are able to register a business name on your behalf. Click here for more information.

Yes, you can transfer a business name from one ABN to another.

You can transfer a business name by logging into or creating an ASIC Connect account by going to ASIC Connect. You will need to start a "cancel/transfer" process which will provide you with a transfer number. This number is then used to register the business name to the new ABN in the same manner as registering a new business name.

Patricia Holdings can transfer the business name for the same cost as registering a business name.

While having a registered business name will prevent others from registering the same or very similar business name or company name with ASIC, it does not give you ownership of the name or the exclusive right to use the name. Registering a business name:

• does not stop another person from registering a similar name
• will not prevent the name being registered as a trademark
• will not prevent the name being used by someone that has already registered it as a trademark; and
• does not protect you from legal action if the name of your business infringes the intellectual property rights of another (for example, a name which is a registered trademark).

Check to see if the name is identical or similar to a registered trademark, by using the free IP Australia Trade Mark Check (TM Check).

If you would like to register a domain name in addition to your business name, check to make sure that the domain name you want is available.

Check any state or territory licences you may require to use a name or conduct a particular type of business in your state or territory. For more information go to Business Licence Information Service.

Yes. The individual or entity you are seeking to register a business name for must first have an ABN or an ABN application reference number before they can apply for a business name. While the business name will be reserved on the ASIC register, the business name will not be considered "registered" until your ABN application is approved and an ABN granted.

You will need to go to the ASIC Connect website and register yourself as a user and then link your business name to your login using the "Link a Business Name" function on the right hand side of the web page once you have logged in.

Once you have linked your business name to your login just follow the prompts to make any required changes.

You will be able to check the availability of a new business name by searching the asic name availability register for existing names before progressing with an application for registration of a new business name.

Before registering a business name, you should conduct a trade mark search.

For more information you can search Australian trade marks at IP Australia Trade Mark Check (TM Check) and domain names at Domain Name Administrator(auDA).

ASIC provides a search function that allows the user to determine whether a business name is available for registration.

You are able to search your proposed names availability here

You will also find information about reviewing an ASIC decision on the link above.

Yes, you can seek a review of an ASIC decision by lodging your request within 28 days of being notified of the decision. You should submit a copy of your application. If you are still not satisfied with their decision, you may apply to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal for further review.

ASIC will issue a record of registration following business name registration and each renewal. You do not need to display the record of registration by law, although you may wish to. You are still required to display the business name.

Yes, this is possible. The only ASIC regulation is that the holder of the business name be a part of the company at the time of incorporation. If the business name holder is:

• a sole trader, then this individual must be an Officer or Member of the company at the time of incorporation.
• a company, then the company must be a Member of the new registration.
• a trust, then the trustee of the trust must be a member of the company holding the shares non-beneficially for the trust. The trust deed will also need to be sighted by ASIC proving the trustee of the trust is who is listed; this can be emailed to Patricia Holdings who will forward on to ASIC with the 201.
• a partnership, then all members of the partnership must be Officers or Members of the company
• an incorporated association or any other organisation holding an ABN, then the association or organisation will need to be a Member of the company

The entity holding the business name does not need to be involved with the company beyond the point of incorporation and can be ceased as an Officer or Member of the company as early as the next day.

Business names are registered to an ABN however an ABN for a company can only be applied for once an ACN has been issued by ASIC, so this really depends on if you’re already trading or not. If you’re not already trading then we suggest waiting until you have registered your company. Outside of needing an ACN to have an ABN, there are three main reasons for this:

1. It can be difficult to register a company (depending on who the business name holder is) with the same name as your business name.
2. Transferring a business name from one entity to another comes with the same fees as registering a business name – this means you may end up paying double the registration fees.
3. If you are registering a business name that is exactly the same as an existing company’s name, then only that company can register the business name (as it is already considered “taken” to ASIC) – this can save on registration fees as you may not need to register the business name.

If you are already trading, chances are you already have a business name registered. You can either use this name to register your new company (see article Can I set up a company with the same name as a registered business name?) or you can transfer the business name to the company’s ABN once obtained

You can register a Company using an existing business name provided the owner of the business name is involved in the proposed Company as either an officer or member. Simply select ‘Yes’ to the question on our order form that asks whether the proposed Company name is identical to an existing business name and provide us with the ABN of the entity that owns the name.

The exact requirements will depend on the type of entity that owns the business name – the most common are below:

Sole Trader

If the business name is registered to the ABN of a sole trader, that individual will simply need to be an officer or member of the proposed Company.

Company

The business name owning company must be a member of the proposed Company (regardless of whether the directors of each company will be the same).

Trust

If the business name is registered to the ABN of a trust, we will require a copy of the trust deed as ASIC will need to view it in order to prove who the trustee of the trust is, and confirm that the trustee is involved in the proposed Company.

Partnership

If the business name is owned by a partnership, each member of the partnership must be involved in the proposed Company.

If a business name is cancelled by the holder, it will be unavailable to the public for a period of four months starting from the date of cancellation. Cancelling the business name is therefore not recommended if you are wanting to register a company using the name in a timely manner.