Getting an Australian Business Number

What is an Australian Business Number(ABN) and Why do you need one?

An ABN is an number that identifies you to the Australian Government and Australian Taxation Office as someone who owns or works in the capacity of a business in Australia. It basically tells the government that you will be performing business like acts (in this case providing services for payment) in Australia so that they can perform their taxation duties correctly. 

You will need one as we will be paying you for your services as a consultant and this is the way that you inform the Australian Government - or more accurately the Australian Business Register - that you will be doing this. You will be applying as a sole trader. This is someone who both owns and operates their own business. Your business is the contract work you will be doing for us whether thats; Admin, Node liaising, Social media etc.

How to get an Australian Business Number:

1. First you will need to go to the ABN Registration website specific for super funds or charities here. You will then need to click the orange button that says “Apply or reapply for an ABN”. 

2. Then there will be a set of questions you will need to answer. You will need to copy the following screenshots that will show you how to answer the questions correctly.

   1. Tick the box that says you agree to provide true and correct information. (Seen in image 1 in Appendix)
      
      

   2. It will then ask you what type of entity you are, you will need to select “Sole trader”. You will be carrying out your duties in Australia and you have started your activities. You will be acting as a business (This will be the most applicable answer to this question), and you will be doing things consistent to running a business. (Shown in image 2)
      
      

   3. Then click next to go to the next page (image 3).
      
      

   4. Then you will have to answer that you are an individual (Sole trader). For the next questions answer them truthfully but it is likely that you have never had an ABN before and that you already have a tax file number so won’t be needing to apply for one. (image 4)
      
      

   5. Then, on the next page, you should answer that you are a resident of Australia for tax purposes and if you have an accountant or other tax agent you will need to put their registered agent number, otherwise you should leave this blank. (image 5)
      
      

   6. For the next page, you will need to fill out your personal information (Name, DOB, and TFN) (image 6)
      
      

   7. Then for the section that prompts you for the date when the ABN is required, you can just answer with the current date. We are also assuming that you intend to be working with us for more than three dates so you may leave the next option blank (if you do have a reason you will not be working for us past those three months you will have to answer with your intended end date). The next question is a bit more tricky and will depend on what we’re hiring you for. You should just answer it to the best of your ability (e.g. if you are being hired to help us with content, you could answer something like you are “providing educational services” or if you are helping us with admin then you could answer something like "Administrative Assistant” etc.) Then you will need to answer that you don’t intend to operate on agricultural property. (image 7)
      
      

   8. The next page will include more personal information (i.e. where you live and where your postal address is, your main email address, the fact that you will not have more than one business location in Australia, your mobile number and then tick the box that says “Same as service of notice email”.) (image 8)
      
      

   9. You will then need to fill out the next personal information fields. (image 9)
      
      

   10. The reason for your application is “To receive payment for services” and it is likely that it is your first time being self employed providing services in Australia (image 10)
       
       

   11. The last step is to fill in your name one last time, then sole trader, the date, then to hit “submit”.
       
       

3. Once you have received your ABN you will need to add it to all your invoices to us so that we can pay you. (You can see more information about the invoice process at "Getting paid"

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