verifyabn

GST registration check: is this ABN registered for GST?

Run a free GST registration check on a supplier's ABN: see whether the Australian Business Register has it registered for GST, from which date, and whether that covers your invoice date. There's no sign-up.

Your answer appears here

Is this business registered for GST?

  1. Yes
  2. Check first
  3. No

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

GST
Registered or not, and from which date
Your invoice date
Whether a registration covered it, if you enter one
Past registrations
Every GST period on the record
ABN status
Active or cancelled, and since when
Entity name
The legal name to match against the invoice

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

Try the ABR's own example ABN.

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 abr.business.gov.au; each source below shows the date it was read.

GST registration check results: what each answer means

ABN Lookup records each GST registration as a period. The From date is when it takes effect, the To date is when it stops, and "(current)" in the To column means it is still current (ABN Lookup: Glossary (opens in a new tab)). The check above turns that into one of these answers:

AnswerWhat the register showsWhat it means for you
Yes, registered for GSTA current GST period, with its start dateIf you are registered for GST yourself, you can claim a GST credit on what you buy for your business; for a purchase over $82.50 (including GST) you need their tax invoice (ATO: When you can claim a GST credit (opens in a new tab))
No, not registered for GST nowGST periods that have endedNo GST credit for purchases from a supplier that isn't registered or required to be (ATO: When you cannot claim a GST credit (opens in a new tab))
No, not registered for GSTNo GST period at allThe same: no GST credit. If their invoice adds GST, ask the supplier why
No, this ABN is cancelledA cancelled ABNCancelling an ABN also cancels its GST registration (ABR: Cancel your ABN (opens in a new tab)). Ask for the supplier's current ABN
Check firstThe GST status on the invoice date you entered differs from today'sAsk the supplier for the registration date the ATO gave them

A supplier that isn't registered may not need to be. Registration is required at $75,000 of GST turnover and in some other cases, and optional below that (ATO: Registering for GST (opens in a new tab)). The cases are listed under who has to register.

Was the supplier registered on the invoice date?

A GST registration that is current today may have started after your invoice, or an old one may have ended before it. Enter the invoice date under the box and the check compares it with every GST period on the record, past ones included.

The dates can change after you check. A business can apply to backdate its GST registration, which the ATO limits to 4 years, by phoning the ATO's business enquiries line (ATO: Registering for GST (opens in a new tab)). If a supplier says the register is wrong, ask for the effective date in the notice the ATO sent when they registered (ATO: Registering for GST (opens in a new tab)).

GST credits and tax invoices

The ATO says that when you claim GST credits you should make sure your suppliers are registered for GST (ATO: When you can claim a GST credit (opens in a new tab)). You can claim a GST credit when (ATO: When you can claim a GST credit (opens in a new tab)):

  • you are registered for GST;
  • you bought the item solely or partly for your business, and not to make input-taxed supplies;
  • the price included GST, and you paid or have to pay for it;
  • you have a tax invoice from the supplier, for purchases over $82.50 (including GST).

A supplier has 28 days to give you a tax invoice once you ask, unless the sale is $82.50 (including GST) or less (ATO: Tax invoices (opens in a new tab)). For a sale under $1,000, the tax invoice must make 7 things clear (ATO: Tax invoices (opens in a new tab)):

  1. that it is intended to be a tax invoice;
  2. the seller's identity;
  3. the seller's ABN;
  4. the date it was issued;
  5. a brief description of what was sold, with the quantity if there is one, and the price;
  6. the GST amount, shown separately, or a statement that the total price includes GST when GST is exactly one-eleventh of it;
  7. how much of each sale on the invoice is taxable.

From $1,000, it must also show the buyer's identity or ABN (ATO: Tax invoices (opens in a new tab)). GST credits have a 4-year time limit (ATO: When you can claim a GST credit (opens in a new tab)).

If an invoice charges GST but the ABN isn't registered

The ATO lists purchases from a supplier that is not registered or required to be registered for GST, "and therefore can't charge GST", among the purchases you can't claim a GST credit for (ATO: When you cannot claim a GST credit (opens in a new tab)). Before you pay the GST on such an invoice:

  1. Check the date. Enter the invoice date above: the supplier may have been registered on that date even if it isn't now.
  2. Check the ABN is theirs. The check above shows whose ABN it is. If the ABN on an invoice isn't valid or the details don't match the supplier, the ATO says you must withhold from the payment at the top tax rate (ATO: Checking an ABN (opens in a new tab)). See when you don't withhold for the exceptions.
  3. Ask the supplier. Ask for the GST registration date the ATO gave them, or a corrected invoice without GST.

A business that should have registered and didn't may have to pay GST on its sales from the date it was required to register, even if it didn't include GST in its prices (ATO: Registering for GST (opens in a new tab)). That is the supplier's problem to fix with the ATO; your GST credit still depends on the rules above.

Who has to register for GST

The ATO says a business must register for GST (ATO: Registering for GST (opens in a new tab)):

  • when its GST turnover is $75,000 or more;
  • when it starts and expects to reach that in its first year;
  • when it is a non-profit with GST turnover of $150,000 a year or more;
  • when it provides taxi or limousine travel, including ride-sourcing, whatever its turnover;
  • when it earns income through the sharing economy or digital platforms;
  • when it wants to claim fuel tax credits.

Anyone else can choose to register, and generally has to stay registered for at least 12 months. A business must register within 21 days of being required to, and it needs an ABN first (ATO: Registering for GST (opens in a new tab)).

Checking GST for a supplier list

For software, the ATO notes that you can build ABN Lookup's validation data into your own systems through ABN Lookup web services (ATO: Tax invoices (opens in a new tab)). You register to use them, and registering binds you to ABN Lookup's web services agreement (ABN Lookup: Web Services Agreement (opens in a new tab)): see ABN Lookup web services (opens in a new tab).

If you'd rather send us a list of suppliers and get each ABN's status and GST back, tell us how many you have and how often you check them.

Ask for a supplier-list check

This isn't available yet. There is no price and nothing to pay. If you email, we'll write back once it exists and tell you the price then.

Questions people ask

How do I check if a business is registered for GST?

Type its ABN, ACN or business name into the box at the top and press Check. The answer says whether the ABN is registered for GST now, from which date, and every earlier GST period on its record. The ATO points to ABN Lookup for this check (ATO: When you can claim a GST credit (opens in a new tab)), and this page reads the same register through the ABR's web services.

Is a GST number the same as an ABN?

In practice, yes. GST registration is recorded against the ABN: ABN Lookup shows "if and when an entity is registered for GST" on the ABN's own record (ABN Lookup: Glossary (opens in a new tab)). The exception is branches. The ATO says some entities' branches have an extra 3-digit GST or PAYG registration number for tax purposes (ATO: Checking an ABN (opens in a new tab)). Type an ABN with its 3-digit branch number and the check reads the ABN from the first 11 digits.

Why does a registered business show as not registered?

ABN Lookup gets updates from the ABR every hour, but the register depends on businesses updating their own details, and ABN Lookup can't guarantee it is up to date (ABN Lookup: ABN Lookup FAQs (opens in a new tab)). The start date can also change: a business can apply to backdate its GST registration by up to 4 years (ATO: Registering for GST (opens in a new tab)). When a business registers, the ATO tells it in writing the date its registration is effective (ATO: Registering for GST (opens in a new tab)), so ask the supplier for that date.

Can I claim GST if the supplier isn't registered?

No. Purchases from a supplier that isn't registered or required to be are on the ATO's list of purchases you can't claim a GST credit for (ATO: When you cannot claim a GST credit (opens in a new tab)). You also can't claim any GST credits unless you are registered for GST yourself (ATO: When you can claim a GST credit (opens in a new tab)).

Can I check GST registration by business name?

Yes. Type the name and pick the match: the list shows each name's ABN, status and state, and opening one gives its GST answer. A business name can belong to any kind of business, so check that the ABN on the invoice is the one you opened.

Is this the official GST register?

No. verifyabn.com is an independent site that reads the Australian Business Register's public data. The official search is ABN Lookup (opens in a new tab), and every result here links to its record there.

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. ABN Lookup: Glossary (opens in a new tab) Read 25 October 2026.
  2. ABN Lookup: ABN Lookup FAQs (opens in a new tab) Read 25 October 2026.
  3. ATO: When you can claim a GST credit (opens in a new tab) Read 25 October 2026, page updated 14 September 2026, QC22431.
  4. ATO: When you cannot claim a GST credit (opens in a new tab) Read 25 October 2026, page updated 14 September 2026, QC22434.
  5. ATO: Tax invoices (opens in a new tab) Read 25 October 2026, page updated 18 September 2026.
  6. ATO: Registering for GST (opens in a new tab) Read 25 October 2026, page updated 14 September 2026.
  7. ATO: Checking an ABN (opens in a new tab) Read 25 October 2026, page updated 11 June 2025, QC51686.
  8. ABR: Cancel your ABN (opens in a new tab) Read 25 October 2026, page updated 26 August 2026.
  9. ABN Lookup: Web Services Agreement (opens in a new tab) Read 25 October 2026.