What's the difference between a company registration, an ABN and a business name?

These are three different registrations that serve different purposes:

Company Registration

• Registers a company with ASIC and creates a separate legal entity (for example, ABC Pty Ltd)
• Your company will receive an ACN (Australian Company Number)
• This is the registration required if you want to operate through a company structure

ABN (Australian Business Number)

• A unique identifier issued by the Australian Government for tax and business purposes
• Businesses often need an ABN to invoice customers, register for GST and interact with government agencies
• A company can have an ABN, but registering a company does not automatically give you one unless you apply for it

Business Name

• A business name is the name you trade under
• Registering a business name does not create a separate legal entity
• For example, a company called ABC Holdings Pty Ltd may trade under the business name ABC Consulting

Depending on your circumstances, you may need all three. Many businesses choose to register a company, apply for an ABN and register a business name as part of setting up their operations.