ICB is pleased to announce that the ATO and Government have listened. We have lobbied for some time that if the ATO requires you to check the ABN and GST status of your suppliers then they HAVE to state unequivocally that you are allowed to rely on it. We quote the new disclaimer.
Relying on Information in ABN Lookup
The Commissioner of Taxation has advised that: If you primarily rely on information about another entity in ABN lookup to self-assess your taxation liabilities or entitlements, and that information turns out to be incorrect:
- The Commissioner will not take compliance action to recover any tax shortfall
- You will also be protected against any false or misleading statement penalty and any interest charges.
However, you will not be protected against any liability to tax shortfall, penalties or interest charges if you and the entity on ABN Lookup are associates. More information about associates can be found at Associates Details.
What does this mean?
You should check the ABN to put it beyond any doubt that your business is allowed to claim back GST charged by suppliers.
It is the law!
You can now check and rely on that check!
Thank You We express our appreciation to ATO Commissioner Mr Chris Jordan and Deputy Registrar of the ABR Mr Mark Jackson and Deputy Commissioner (Indirect Tax) Mr James O’Halloran for their work in bringing this practical change to fruition.
Disclaimer The Registrar makes every reasonable effort to maintain current and accurate information on this site. The Commissioner of Taxation advises that if you use ABN Lookup for information about another entity for taxation purposes and that information turns out to be incorrect, in certain circumstances you will be protected from liability. For more information see disclaimer.
Important Information for Users of the ABN Lookup Services This website is presented as a convenient, free of charge way for you to access a partial, online version of the Australian Business Register (ABR). This service is maintained under the A New Tax System (Australian Business Number) Act 1999, the main objective of which is to make it easier for businesses to conduct their dealings with the Australian Government. Due to the limitations outlined below, neither the Registrar of the ABR nor the Federal Government accept any liability arising from use of, or reliance upon, this service.
