verifyabn

ACN lookup: search and check a company's ACN

Type a 9-digit ACN to check it and see the company's ABN record, if it has one. Or search by company name to find its ACN. It's free.

Your answer appears here

Can I pay this supplier?

  1. Yes
  2. Check first
  3. No

A plain answer first, then the ATO rule behind it and the date it was read.

Company name
The entity name on the ABR
ABN and status
Active or cancelled, and since when
GST
Registered or not, and from which date
Business names
Its registered business names
Location
State and postcode

Each record links to its official entry on abr.business.gov.au.

Unofficial. Reads the Australian Business Register's public web services. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the ABR, the ATO, ASIC or the Australian Government. How it works.

Updated . Rules checked against ato.gov.au, abr.gov.au and asic.gov.au the same day.

What an ACN looks like

An ACN has 9 digits and identifies a company. ASIC issues every company with one when it is registered. It is different from the ABN, which is issued by the ATO and used to identify any type of business, including sole traders and partnerships (ASIC: Australian Company Number (ACN) (opens in a new tab)).

ASIC illustrates the pattern with ACN 123 456 789 and ABN 36 123 456 789. These are illustrative: neither passes its check digit test, so the box above flags them. A company's ABN is often its ACN with 2 extra digits in front. When it is, the company can show the ABN wherever it would have to show the ACN (ASIC: Australian Company Number (ACN) (opens in a new tab)). For a side-by-side comparison, see ABN vs ACN.

Where a company must show its ACN

Under section 153 of the Corporations Act 2001, a company must show its name and ACN (or an ABN that contains it) on the first page of documents including (ASIC: Australian Company Number (ACN) (opens in a new tab)):

  • invoices and statements of account;
  • receipts, unless machine-produced;
  • orders for goods and services, and business letterhead;
  • documents lodged with ASIC, official notices and letters of credit;
  • cheques, promissory notes and bills of exchange.

It doesn't have to appear on packaging, business cards, envelopes, vehicles or TV advertisements (ASIC: Australian Company Number (ACN) (opens in a new tab)). So an invoice from a company with no ACN or ABN on it is worth asking about before you pay.

Check an ACN by hand

The last digit of an ACN is a check digit. ASIC's method (ASIC: Message Implementation Guide v1.5, Appendix D: Algorithms (opens in a new tab)):

  1. Multiply the first eight digits by 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1.
  2. Add the results.
  3. Divide by 10 and take the remainder.
  4. Subtract the remainder from 10 (if that gives 10, use 0). The answer must equal the last digit.

ASIC's example, 004 085 616:

Check digit working for ACN 004 085 616
Digit004085616
Weight87654321check
Product002403215121
Total 84; 84 ÷ 10 leaves 4; 10 − 4 = 6, which matches the last digit, so 004 085 616 is a valid ACN.

The box above runs this as you type and explains a failing number before anything is looked up.

What an ABN record can't tell you about a company

The ABN record shows the company's ABN status, GST registration, names, state and postcode (ABR: Your ABN details on the ABR (opens in a new tab)). It doesn't show the company's directors or whether ASIC still has the company registered. For those, search ASIC's company register on ASIC Connect (opens in a new tab), where some information is free and some is paid (ASIC: Australian Company Number (ACN) (opens in a new tab)). When ASIC deregisters a company, the ABR cancels its ABN (ABR: ABR integrity (ABN cancellation program) (opens in a new tab)).

Questions people ask

How do I do an ACN lookup?

Type the 9-digit ACN into the box at the top and press Check. If the number passes ASIC's check digit test, the page asks the Australian Business Register. If it finds a record, it shows the company's ABN record: status, GST, names, state and postcode. If there is no record, it says so and suggests what to do next. If the number fails the test, the page shows the working, so you can spot the typing mistake. You can search ABN Lookup by ACN when the entity has an ABN (ABN Lookup: Glossary (opens in a new tab)).

How do I search for an ACN by company name?

Type the company's name into the same box, pick the match and open its record: a company's ABN record shows its ACN (ABR: Your ABN details on the ABR (opens in a new tab)). You can also search ASIC's company register on ASIC Connect (opens in a new tab), where some information is free and some is paid (ASIC: Australian Company Number (ACN) (opens in a new tab)). For when a company must show its ACN, see where a company must show its ACN.

How do I check that an ACN is valid?

There are two checks. The first is the check digit: the last digit of an ACN comes from the other eight, and the box above runs ASIC's calculation as you type (ASIC: Message Implementation Guide v1.5, Appendix D: Algorithms (opens in a new tab)). Check an ACN by hand has the steps. The second is a register search: press Check to see whether the Australian Business Register has a record. A missing record doesn't prove an ACN is wrong, because some companies have no ABN. An ABN record also doesn't show whether ASIC still has the company registered; ASIC Connect can show that.

Is this ACN search free?

Yes. It's free and there's nothing to sign up for. It reads the Australian Business Register's public web services. ASIC's own company register has some free information and some paid information (ASIC: Australian Company Number (ACN) (opens in a new tab)).

Can I find an ACN from an ABN?

Yes. Look up the ABN; if the entity is a company, its record includes the ACN. Sometimes the ABN itself shows it. When a company's ABN is its ACN with 2 extra digits in front, the ACN is the last 9 digits of the ABN (ASIC: Australian Company Number (ACN) (opens in a new tab)).

Are the ABN and ACN the same number?

No. The ACN is 9 digits and comes from ASIC; the ABN is 11 digits and comes from the ATO. Most companies have both (ASIC: Australian Company Number (ACN) (opens in a new tab)). For more, see ABN vs ACN.

How do I get an ACN?

By registering a company with ASIC, which issues the ACN at registration (ASIC: Australian Company Number (ACN) (opens in a new tab)). You need the ACN before you can get the company's ABN and tax registrations (ATO: Business or company registrations (opens in a new tab)). For the steps, who can apply and ASIC's fee, see how to get an ACN.

What's an ARBN?

An Australian Registered Body Number: a 9-digit number ASIC gives to bodies it registers other than as companies, such as foreign companies (ABN Lookup: Glossary (opens in a new tab)). ABN Lookup can be searched by ARBN when the entity has an ABN (ABN Lookup: Glossary (opens in a new tab)). An ARBN uses the same check digit formula as an ACN (ASIC: Message Implementation Guide v1.5, Appendix D: Algorithms (opens in a new tab)).

Sources

Every rule on this page comes from the official pages listed here. Each was read on the date shown, and the Updated date at the top is when this page was last checked against them.

  1. ASIC: Australian Company Number (ACN) (opens in a new tab) Read 30 September 2026.
  2. ASIC: Message Implementation Guide v1.5, Appendix D: Algorithms (opens in a new tab) Read 30 September 2026.
  3. ABR: Your ABN details on the ABR (opens in a new tab) Read 30 September 2026, page updated 5 August 2024.
  4. ABR: ABR integrity (ABN cancellation program) (opens in a new tab) Read 30 September 2026.
  5. ABN Lookup: Glossary (opens in a new tab) Read 30 September 2026.
  6. ATO: Business or company registrations (opens in a new tab) Read 30 September 2026, page updated 13 November 2024, QC31785.