Do tradies need an ABN?
Yes, if you're running a business — quoting jobs, invoicing customers, working for yourself. An ABN, an Australian Business Number, is the 11 digit number that identifies your business to the government and to your customers, and it goes on every quote and invoice. Without one, business customers may have to withhold 47% of your payment. It is for people carrying on an enterprise, which a tradie doing paid jobs clearly is, and it's free, so there's no reason not to. It's separate from your Tax File Number, which you keep as an individual.
How to apply (free, step by step)
- Go to the Australian Business Register at abr.gov.au and start an ABN application (it's also offered through the government's Business Registration Service, where you can grab an ABN and register a business name at the same time).
- Have your Tax File Number handy, plus your personal details and when your business activity starts.
- Answer the questions about your business — as a tradie you'll typically apply as a sole trader.
- Submit. If everything verifies, your ABN is issued on the spot; if it needs a manual review, you'll get it within a couple of weeks.
It is free. If a website wants to charge you a fee to get your ABN, you're on the wrong site, a third party one, go direct to abr.gov.au.
ABN vs GST vs business name — they're different things
- ABN — identifies your business. Free. You need it to invoice properly.
- GST registration — separate. Only required once your turnover hits $75k (see do I need to register for GST?). You can have an ABN without being GST-registered.
- Business name — if you trade under a name that isn't your own (e.g. "Dave's Electrical"), you register that separately (a small annual fee). Trading under your own personal name doesn't need a registered business name.
Already got an ABN? Check what the register says about it
Worth doing once a year, and worth doing before you put it on an invoice you have not sent in a while. The register is public, and this searches it live — it will show you the entity name on record, whether the ABN is active, whether it is registered for GST, and any business names attached to it.
Two things to look at. A cancelled ABN — which happens if the ATO decides you are no longer carrying on an enterprise — is still a number you can type onto an invoice, and a customer who checks will find it inactive. And the GST line is the one people get wrong in both directions: charging GST while the register does not show you as registered, or forgetting to charge it after you registered.
If the details are not what you expected, update them through the Australian Business Register — that is where the record lives, and it is free.
Put your ABN on every job
Once you've got it, your ABN should appear on every quote and invoice. Yamate stores it once and adds it to everything automatically — or use the free invoice generator for a one-off, which can pull your details straight off the register the same way this page does.
What has to be on the invoice besides the ABN is a short, specific list — see tax invoice requirements.
Set your ABN once in Yamate — on every quote & invoice →FAQ
How much does an ABN cost?
Nothing — applying for an ABN through the Australian Business Register is free. Only third-party sites charge a fee; go direct to abr.gov.au.
How long does it take to get an ABN?
Often instantly online if your identity and details verify. If it's flagged for review, it can take up to around two weeks.
Do I need an ABN and a TFN?
Yes — your TFN is your personal tax file number; your ABN identifies your business. As a sole trader you use both.
Can I invoice without an ABN?
You can, but business customers may have to withhold 47% of the payment, so it's best to have your ABN before you start invoicing.
Related
Do I need to register for GST? · How much tax to put aside
General information for Australian sole traders, not tax or legal advice. Check current requirements at abr.gov.au and business.gov.au. Last updated August 2026.