Enter an ABN or a name.
Type the 11-digit ABN from an invoice, or at least three characters of the business name. Name searches cover legal, business and trading names.
We query the register live.
The lookup asks the Australian Business Register for that record at that moment, so you see what the ABR holds now, not a cached copy.
Read the result and act on it.
Registered from a date, not currently registered, or ABN cancelled. The sections below say what each means for your invoice, your credits and your own obligations.
- Threshold
- $75,000$150,000 for a not-for-profit
- Tax invoice
- $82.50needed to claim a credit above this
- Credit time limit
- 4 yearsto claim a GST credit
- This lookup
- $0free, nothing stored
How it worksHow to check if a business is registered for GST using its ABN or its name.
Enter an ABN, or just the business name, and the lookup tells you whether that business is registered for GST, free and live from the Australian Business Register. Name searches show the closest matches across legal, business and trading names; pick one and you see the entity name, ABN status and the date GST registration took effect, or that there is none. It is the same public data the ATO points you to on ABN Lookup, without the digging. We do not keep a record of what you look up, and our privacy policy says what the lookup stores.
- Find the ABN. It is on any tax invoice, quote or contract as 11 digits. If you only have a name, type at least three characters and choose the right business from the list.
- Read the two statuses separately. ABN status (active or cancelled) and GST status (registered from a date, or not currently registered) are different fields. An active ABN says nothing about GST on its own.
- Check the date against the invoice. GST registration has a registered-from date. An invoice dated before it was issued by a business that was not registered at the time, whatever its status is today.
- Act on it. Claim the credit, ask for a corrected invoice, withhold, or register your own business: the sections below cover each case in turn.
Your own ABN? The lookup tells you whether GST is already registered. If it is not and you need it, the registration form takes five minutes.
Register for GSTWhat it meansWhat each GST lookup result means for the business, and for you as its customer.
Registered for GST means the business can charge GST and must give you a tax invoice on request, and you can claim the GST back as a credit if you are registered yourself. Not registered means it cannot add GST to its prices and you cannot claim a credit on its invoices. ABN cancelled means the business is not carrying an active ABN at all, which changes how you pay it. The table puts the three results, and the two error states, side by side.
| Result | What it means | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| Registered for GST since [date] | The business can charge GST and must issue a tax invoice within 28 days of a request for any sale over $82.50. Credits are claimable on its invoices if you are registered. | Keep the tax invoice and claim the credit on your BAS, within four years. Claim credits |
| Not currently registered for GST | It cannot legally add GST to its prices, and a purchase from it carries no credit for you, whatever the invoice says. | If GST appears on the invoice, query it before paying. If it is your business and turnover is $75,000 or more, or you drive rideshare, registration is required. No GST |
| ABN cancelled | The entity has no active ABN. Its invoices may trigger no-ABN withholding at the top rate of tax if a current ABN is not quoted. | Ask for a current ABN, or a written statement explaining why none is quoted, before you pay. Check first |
| No business found for that ABN | The digits do not match a record on the register. | Re-check the digits against the invoice, or search by name instead. Retry |
| Register unavailable | The ABR did not answer in time. | Try again shortly, or search directly on abr.business.gov.au. Retry |
Warning: An active ABN is not a GST registration. They are separate registrations that the register shows in separate fields; how an ABN and GST fit together explains why a business can hold one without the other.
Result says not registered, and it is you? Lodged by Registered BAS Agent 25972850, usually within 4 business hours, backdating available.
Register for GSTThe datesThe ABN and GST date fields on a lookup, and the one that decides your credit.
Two dates matter: the date the ABN became active, and the date GST registration took effect, which is the one that decides whether a particular invoice can carry GST. They are often different, because many businesses trade under an ABN for months or years before passing the $75,000 threshold or choosing to register. A business can also have been registered, cancelled and registered again, which only the historical view shows. Check them in this order.
- The GST registered-from date. Shown as 'Registered from [date]' in the GST field. GST can only be charged on sales made on or after it. A backdated registration moves this date backwards, which the ATO allows up to four years.
- The invoice date. Compare it with the registered-from date. An invoice dated before registration should not show GST, even if the supplier is registered today. If it does, the GST was charged when it could not be.
- The ABN status and its date. ABN Lookup shows the ABN status with its date of effect and highlights cancelled ABNs in red. An ABN cancelled before the invoice date makes it a no-ABN invoice for withholding purposes.
- The historical tab. On ABN Lookup, the Current details tab shows today's position and the Historical details tab shows earlier names and statuses, including a GST registration that was cancelled. Use it when a status looks like it changed mid-year.
Need your registration to start earlier? Backdating up to four years is a $25 + GST add-on on the registration form, checked by an agent first.
Register with backdatingWhy it mattersWhy an invoice without GST matters, and what GST from an unregistered supplier costs you.
You can only claim a GST credit on a purchase that included GST from a supplier who is registered, with a tax invoice for anything over $82.50. GST shown on an invoice from an unregistered supplier is not GST at all, so there is no credit, and you have paid a tenth more than the price. The other direction matters too: an invoice with no GST from a registered supplier may be a GST-free or input-taxed supply, or a simple omission that costs you the credit until it is corrected.
The same $5,500 invoice from a registered supplier carries a real $500 credit. Query it before paying, and ask for the invoice reissued at $5,000 without GST.
Seen GST on an invoice that looks wrong? Look the supplier up. Thirty seconds now saves a disallowed credit later.
Check a supplierWhat to do nextWhat to do when a supplier charges GST but is not registered, when your own business shows as not registered, or when the ABN is cancelled.
Three results send you three different ways. Here is the next step for each, with what the ATO expects and what you are entitled to ask for.
Your own business shows as not registered.
If your GST turnover is $75,000 or more, or you drive for a rideshare platform, registration is required, and the clock is 21 days from the point you realise you will reach the threshold. Rideshare drivers must be registered before their first trip, whatever they earn. Our registered BAS agents lodge it in about 4 business hours through the registration form, and can backdate it if you crossed the line a while ago. Under the threshold, registration is optional; do I need to register for GST? works through whether the credits are worth it for you, and the threshold calculator tracks how close you are.
A supplier charges GST but is not registered.
Do not claim the credit, and raise it with the supplier before you pay. The ATO is explicit that no credit is available on purchases from a supplier that is not registered or required to be registered for GST. Ask the supplier to confirm its registration, or to reissue the invoice without GST and refund the difference if you have already paid. If the supplier insists, pay the GST-exclusive amount and keep a note of why. A supplier that routinely adds GST while unregistered is keeping a tenth of the price, which you can report, anonymously if you prefer, through the ATO's tip-off form or on 1800 060 062.
The ABN is cancelled, or no ABN is quoted.
Where a supplier does not quote a current ABN and the payment is more than $75 excluding GST, you generally withhold the top rate of tax from the payment and pay it to the ATO. A cancelled ABN on an invoice is the same as no ABN. Before withholding, ask for a current ABN or a written statement explaining why one is not quoted, which some suppliers are entitled to give. If you are the business and your ABN has been cancelled, GST cannot attach to it until it is active again; our sister service ABN Assist registers ABNs, usually same-day, and can add GST in the same application.
Crossed the threshold, or about to? Register now and the agent sets the start date so the 21-day clock is met.
Register for GSTAfter you checkWhere to go next, whichever result you got.
A GST lookup answers one question, whether a business is registered today; what you do with the answer depends on which side of the invoice you are on. Buyers need the tax invoice rules and the credit rules. Sellers need to know when to charge GST and when not to. Businesses near the line need the threshold and the 21-day clock. These are the pages for each, and every one of them is written for a first-timer.
For buyers: tax invoice requirements lists the seven details a valid invoice carries, and accounting for GST credits covers what you can claim and the four-year limit. For sellers: when to charge GST and when not to, and GST on marketplace sales if a platform sits between you and the customer. For anyone near the line: crossing the $75,000 threshold, and GST for tradies and subcontractors, where an unregistered subcontractor charging GST is a common find.
Not registered and need to be? Lodged by Registered BAS Agent 25972850, flat fee, tax deductible, backdating available.
Register for GSTQuestionsOther questions.
How do I check if a business is registered for GST?
Enter its ABN above. The tool queries the Australian Business Register live and shows whether the ABN is active and the date its GST registration took effect, or that it has none. It is the same public data the ATO's ABN Lookup shows, without the digging. Read the GST field, not just the ABN status: a business can hold an active ABN and no GST registration.
Why does it matter whether a supplier is GST registered?
Only GST-registered suppliers can charge GST and issue tax invoices, and you can only claim GST credits on purchases from registered suppliers. If a supplier adds "GST" to an invoice but is not registered, that is a problem worth raising before you pay: the credit is not claimable, and you have paid a tenth more than the price.
The lookup says I'm not registered for GST: what now?
If your turnover is $75,000 or more, or you drive rideshare, registration is required, within 21 days of realising you will reach the threshold. You can have it lodged by our BAS agents within about 4 business hours using the registration form. Under the threshold, registration is optional; our guide on whether to register walks through the trade-offs.
Can I check a business name instead of an ABN?
Yes: type the name and we search the register for the closest matches across legal, business and trading names. Pick the right one from the list and its GST status appears instantly, no ABN needed. If several businesses share a name, the ABN, status and state shown beside each match tell them apart.
Is this the same as the ATO's ABN Lookup?
It uses the same data. ABN Lookup at abr.business.gov.au is the Australian Business Register's own public search, free for anyone to use directly, and it shows the GST field as Registered, Cancelled or No GST registration with a date of effect. Our lookup adds the name search, reads the result in plain English, and tells you what to do next. Either answers the question.
How up to date is the result?
ABN Lookup receives updates from the Australian Business Register every hour, so the result reflects the register as of the last hour. The register itself depends on businesses updating their details when they change, and the ABR has noted temporary delays in new or updated ABNs appearing. If you registered or cancelled GST today, check back later before concluding anything.
A supplier charged me GST but the lookup says they are not registered. Can I still claim it?
No. The ATO lists purchases from a supplier that is not registered, or not required to be registered, among the cases where no GST credit is available. Ask the supplier to reissue the invoice without GST and refund the difference if you have paid. If they will not, keep the correspondence, pay the GST-exclusive amount where you can, and consider the ATO's tip-off form or 1800 060 062, which accepts anonymous reports.
Does the lookup show when a GST registration was cancelled?
Our result shows the current position: registered from a date, or not currently registered. On ABN Lookup itself, the GST field can read Registered, Cancelled or No GST registration, and the Historical details tab shows past statuses and names. If you need to know whether a supplier was registered on a particular past date, that tab is the place to look.
Can I see a business's turnover or contact details here?
No. ABN Lookup holds only the publicly available information: entity, business and trading names, ABN status, entity type, GST registration, main business location and charity endorsements. It does not include addresses, email, telephone or other contact details, and turnover is never public. For anything beyond the GST status, ask the business directly.