Insight · Corporate

How to Cancel an ABN

Published 27 July 2026

The steps, the order to do them in, and the obligations that survive cancellation.

In short

Cancel an ABN through the Australian Business Register's online services using myGovID, by phone, or through your tax agent. Before you cancel, finalise all activity statements and tax returns, cancel GST and PAYG roles, pay staff entitlements, and deal separately with business names (ASIC) and company deregistration (also ASIC). The law requires cancellation within 28 days of ceasing business.

Cancelling an ABN is straightforward — the mistakes happen in what people forget to finalise first. An ABN cancellation is an ATO-side step only; it does not close your company, cancel your business name, or extinguish your tax liabilities.

Step 1 — Confirm you have actually ceased the enterprise

You must cancel your ABN if you have stopped carrying on an enterprise, sold the business, changed structure (for example sole trader to a company), or the entity is being wound up. A temporary pause in trading is not the same thing — if you intend to resume, speak to your accountant before cancelling.

Step 2 — Finalise your tax obligations

Lodge all outstanding BAS and income tax returns.
Cancel GST registration (this can be done in the same session).
Finalise Single Touch Payroll and cancel PAYG withholding after paying final wages, superannuation and leave entitlements.
Cancel fuel tax credits, luxury car tax, wine equalisation tax and any other roles.
Deal with assets — disposing of business assets can trigger GST and CGT consequences.

Step 3 — Cancel the ABN

Online. Sign in to ABR online services with myGovID (linked through Relationship Authorisation Manager), select the ABN and choose "Cancel ABN". You can nominate the date you actually ceased trading.
By phone. Call the ABR business line with your identity details.
Through your agent. A registered tax or BAS agent can cancel on your behalf.

Cancellation takes effect immediately once processed and shows on the public register, which anyone can confirm with an ABN lookup.

Step 4 — The steps people forget

Business names. These are registered with ASIC, not the ABR. When your ABN is cancelled, the business name cannot stay linked to it and will eventually be cancelled — but if you want it kept, transfer it to another ABN first.
Company deregistration. A Pty Ltd company continues to exist, and continues to attract ASIC annual review fees, until it is formally deregistered or wound up.
Contracts. Terminate or assign supplier agreements, leases and subscriptions — cancelling an ABN does not release you from them.
Trade marks and domains. Owned separately; reassign them if the brand has value.
Insurance and licences. Cancel or transfer, and keep run-off cover where claims can be made after you stop trading.
Records. Keep tax and company records for five to seven years — cancellation does not end that duty.

Risks of leaving a dormant ABN active

The ATO periodically reviews and bulk-cancels inactive ABNs, but an active ABN with no lodgements invites review activity and penalties for unlodged returns. It can also mislead counterparties into thinking the enterprise is still running, which creates its own problems if someone contracts with a business that no longer exists.

Winding up properly

If the business is a company with debts, do not simply cancel registrations and walk away. Directors who allow a company to incur debts while insolvent risk personal liability under section 588G of the Corporations Act. A solvent members' voluntary liquidation or a formal deregistration is the clean route — and it is far cheaper than defending a claim from a liquidator later.

Where this fits in practice

We advise on closures, restructures and business exits — including whether to cancel, sell, or restructure — as part of our business structures and business sales work.

Frequently asked questions

How do I cancel my ABN?

Log in to the ABR's online services with your myGovID and Relationship Authorisation Manager access, select the ABN, and choose to cancel it — or phone the ABR, or have your registered tax agent do it. Cancellation is usually effective immediately, and you can backdate it to the day you actually stopped trading.

Do I have to cancel my ABN if I stop trading?

Yes. The law requires you to cancel your ABN within 28 days of ceasing business. Leaving a dormant ABN active exposes you to ATO review activity and can create the impression you are still carrying on an enterprise.

What do I need to finalise before cancelling?

Lodge and pay all outstanding activity statements and tax returns, cancel GST, PAYG withholding, fuel tax credits and any other roles, pay staff entitlements and finalise Single Touch Payroll, and deal with business names, which are separate and registered with ASIC.

Can I reactivate a cancelled ABN?

If you restart the same business structure, you can reapply and the ABR will usually reissue the same ABN number. If the structure changes — sole trader to company, for example — you need a new ABN.

Does cancelling my ABN close my company?

No. Cancelling an ABN is an ATO registry step. Closing a Pty Ltd company requires separate ASIC deregistration, and that must not be done until liabilities are dealt with — otherwise directors can face claims and the company may need to be reinstated.

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