Answer
What is an ABN and why does it matter for tendering?
The ABN is the 11 digit Australian Business Number that identifies your business to government. It is what AusTender publishes as the supplier on every contract notice and what must appear on a valid tax invoice.
The Australian Business Register issues the ABN. It is the canonical identifier in Commonwealth procurement: agencies key supplier records on it, AusTender publishes it against every contract notice, and a tax invoice without it is not valid.
The ABN carries a check digit, so a mistyped number can be caught before you use it. Our ABN checker runs the Australian Taxation Office algorithm in your browser and tells you immediately whether a number is well formed.
A valid ABN is not the same as an active one. Check the entity name, whether the ABN is currently active, and whether the entity is registered for GST on ABN Lookup before you rely on it.
Where a company's ABN was issued against its Australian Company Number, the last nine digits of the ABN are the ACN. Tender documentation often asks for both.
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