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Bulk ABN lookup by name
Got a list of suppliers with no ABNs? Paste the business names and see the closest matches on the Australian Business Register for each one, with the ABN, state and postcode. Then confirm the right ABN with the supplier.
How it works
Each name is searched on ABN Lookup, the Australian Business Register’s public register, and up to three of the closest matches are shown, best first. The match score is the register’s own measure of how closely the name matches what you typed. A name can match an entity name (the legal name), a registered business name, or an older trading name. When a business has several matching names, the best-scoring one is shown.
The ABR’s web services documentation says trading names “have not been updated since 2012” and recommends avoiding them, so matches on a trading name are labelled. Business names were introduced in May 2012.
A name match is a possible match, not proof. Before you record an ABN against a supplier, ask them to confirm it or to put it on their invoice, then check the ABN for its status and GST registration.
The ABR’s Name Lookup tool
The ABR also publishes a free Name Lookup tool, an Excel workbook: names go in column A, with optional columns for a reference number, state, postcode, search width and a results limit (10 by default), and results land on a Matching Records sheet with the matching name, whether it’s current and a match score. Its user guide lists Microsoft Excel 2010 or higher with macros enabled as a requirement, and the lookup stops at the first empty row. If that works for you, it’s a good free option for long lists. This page is for when you’d rather not run macros, or just have a couple of dozen names. To check a list of ABNs rather than names, see bulk ABN lookup without the Excel macro tool.
When you’d use it
Cleaning up a Xero, MYOB or QuickBooks supplier list before BAS or the taxable payments annual report, where contractors need an ABN; setting up new suppliers from a list of names; or working out who you can ask for an ABN before a payment, rather than withholding 47%.
Common questions
How do I find ABNs for a list of business names?
Paste the names above, one per line (up to 25 per run), and click Find ABNs. Each name is searched on the Australian Business Register and the closest matches are listed with their ABN, the matching name, the name type, whether the name is current, and the state and postcode. Download the CSV to keep the results with your list.
Is the first match the right ABN?
Not necessarily. A name search finds names that look similar, and different businesses can have similar names. Treat each result as a possible match: the state and postcode help, and the safest step is to ask the supplier to confirm their ABN (or put it on their invoice) before you rely on it.
Can I search one state or postcode?
Yes. Pick a state for the whole list, or add a state (WA, NSW, VIC and so on) or a 4-digit postcode after a comma or in the next spreadsheet column on any line. Only matches in that state or postcode are shown. The filter is applied to the register's closest matches, so if nothing shows, remove the filter or try fewer words.
Why does a match say trading name?
The register still holds trading names recorded before business names were introduced in May 2012. The ABR's own web services documentation says trading names haven't been updated since 2012 and recommends avoiding them, so a match on a trading name is weaker evidence than a match on an entity or business name.
What does historical mean?
The name was recorded against that ABN in the past but isn't current. The business may have renamed, or the name may have been cancelled. Check the ABN to see its current names and status.
How is this different from the ABR's Name Lookup tool?
The ABR publishes a free Name Lookup tool: an Excel workbook that searches a column of names and fills in a Matching Records sheet. It needs Microsoft Excel 2010 or higher with macros enabled, and the lookup stops at the first empty row. This page does the same kind of search in the browser with nothing to install, and blank lines don't stop it. If you have Excel with macros, the ABR's tool is free and handles longer lists.
The supplier isn't on the register at all. What now?
Ask them for their ABN. A sole trader may be registered under their own name rather than their trading name, so try that too. If they have no ABN and you pay them more than A$75 excluding GST, you may need to withhold 47%; the no-ABN withholding calculator works it out.
Is this free?
Yes. Up to 25 names per run, with no account. Checking the ABNs you find (status, GST registration, name match) is free for one at a time on the ABN lookup and for the first 25 rows of the bulk check.
More: free ABN lookup · bulk ABN and GST check · find an ABN from an ACN · suppliers with no ABN · new supplier form template
Results come from the Australian Business Register. ClearABN isn’t affiliated with the ABR, and this isn’t tax advice.