How to register an ABN for free

An ABN costs $0 from the government. If the website you're on wants to charge you for one, you're on the wrong website. Close it and read on.

Watch for the copycats

Search "register ABN" and the top results are often paid ads for private sites dressed up to look official. They'll charge $50 or more to fill in the same free form you could fill in yourself, and some tack on "renewals" for a number that never expires. It's legal, and it's a rip-off.

The real one is the Australian Business Register - the ABR, a government site ending in .gov.au. That's the only place your application actually goes anyway. Go direct, pay nothing.

What you'll need

Have this ready and the form is a single sitting:

• Your tax file number
• Your name, date of birth and contact details
• Your business structure - sole trader, for most tradies starting out
• What you do, in plain words: "lawn mowing services", "carpentry"
• Your business address and start date

How long it takes

For most people, minutes. If your details check out against ATO records, the ABN appears on screen at the end of the application and you can use it straight away. If something needs a manual review, it can take a few weeks, which is one more reason to do this before your first paid job, not the night before you invoice it.

Got the number? Do these next

• Put the ABN on every quote and invoice - here's why it's nearly half your money
• Leave GST alone for now unless you're heading past $75k - the $75k question explains when that changes
• Trading under a name that isn't your own? A business name is a separate registration with ASIC, and that one does carry a small fee
• Start keeping records from day one. Invoices stick around for 5 years

And if ABN and GST are blurring into one thing in your head, this two-minute read untangles them.

General information only - check the ATO or your accountant for your own situation.