How to Cancel an ABN (2026): When You Must, the Final BAS, and Getting It Back

Closing a business, selling it, or moving it into a company all end the same way on paper: the old ABN has to go. Cancelling it is quick — a few clicks in ABR online services — but the order you do things in matters. Lodge too late and the ATO keeps expecting activity statements; cancel too early and you can't finish your final BAS cleanly. This guide is for sole traders, partners, trustees and company directors winding up a business in 2026. It covers when you must cancel, what to finish first, the GST deadline and final BAS (including the asset adjustment most people miss), your business name, and how to get the same ABN back later.

Quick answer

Cancel your ABN online through ABR online services (log in with myID, choose Cancel ABN), through your tax agent, by phone or by post. Do it when the business has closed, been sold, stopped operating in Australia or changed structure — the ABR expects an update or cancellation within 28 days. Before you cancel, lodge outstanding activity statements and cancel PAYG withholding; GST must be cancelled within 21 days of closing or selling.

• Cancelling the ABN also cancels GST, LCT, WET and fuel tax credit registrations

• You still lodge a final BAS and a final tax return after cancelling

• Kept assets you claimed GST on? You may owe an increasing adjustment on the final BAS

• Cancel your ASIC business name separately — it takes 28 days

• Restarting later with the same structure? Reapply and you'll get the same ABN

When you must cancel your ABN — and when you shouldn't

The ABR's rule is simple: cancel your ABN if your business has been sold, has closed down, or is no longer operating in Australia or making supplies connected with Australia. You may also need to cancel when your structure changes — for example, when a sole trader moves the business into a new company, or a partnership becomes a trust. The ABN belongs to the entity, so a new entity needs a new ABN and the old one should be cancelled once it stops trading. If you're unsure which entity holds which number, our ABN vs ACN guide untangles them.

Timing: the ABR says that if your business operation has ceased, you must update your details or cancel your ABN within 28 days. That's the same deadline that applies to any other change of ABN details.

Equally important is when not to cancel. The ATO is clear that you shouldn't cancel if you are only pausing the business and plan to restart, or if you still use the ABN for another business activity. A sole trader who stops their weekend market stall but keeps freelancing under the same ABN has nothing to cancel — they just update their business activity on the ABR. A seasonal operator who closes for winter keeps the ABN.

There's one special case for companies. The ATO says a company registered with ASIC that no longer carries on a business can choose to keep its ABN, though it must cancel its GST registration. That suits holding companies that will trade again; a company that is being deregistered should cancel.

Pause or cancel?

Situation	What to do with the ABN
Business closed for good	Cancel within 28 days
Business sold to a new owner	Cancel; the buyer uses their own ABN
Sole trader moving into a new company	Company gets a new ABN; cancel the sole trader ABN when it stops trading
Taking a break, planning to restart	Keep it; lodge nil activity statements as required
Stopped one activity but still running another	Keep it; update your business activity details
Company not trading but staying registered	Can keep the ABN; must cancel GST

Business closed for good

What to do with the ABN

Cancel within 28 days

Business sold to a new owner

What to do with the ABN

Cancel; the buyer uses their own ABN

Sole trader moving into a new company

What to do with the ABN

Company gets a new ABN; cancel the sole trader ABN when it stops trading

Taking a break, planning to restart

What to do with the ABN

Keep it; lodge nil activity statements as required

Stopped one activity but still running another

What to do with the ABN

Keep it; update your business activity details

Company not trading but staying registered

What to do with the ABN

Can keep the ABN; must cancel GST

What to finish before you cancel

The ABR asks you to meet your lodgment, reporting and payment obligations with every government agency you deal with before cancelling. The ATO's list is more specific: lodge all required activity statements and tax returns, pay outstanding tax debts, complete employee obligations including super and Single Touch Payroll (STP) reporting, and repay any refunds you weren't entitled to. Cancelling registrations doesn't remove any of these obligations; it just stops new ones arising.

Two sequencing rules trip people up:

• PAYG withholding first. If you're registered for PAYG withholding, the ABR says you must cancel it before you cancel the ABN. That means paying final wages and entitlements, sending the last pay events through STP, making the finalisation declaration for each employee, and paying their remaining super.
• Check your postal address. The ATO issues the cancellation notice to the postal address on the ABR. If you've moved out of the business premises, update the address before you cancel.

If you employ staff, closing down also means final pay including unused annual leave, and any notice or redundancy owed. Under Payday Super, super on those final payments must reach each employee's fund on time like any other payday — see our superannuation guarantee guide.

Before you press "Cancel ABN"

0/7

• Final wages, leave and super paid; last STP pay event and finalisation declarations lodged
• PAYG withholding registration cancelled
• All activity statements lodged up to date (nil where there was no activity)
• Outstanding tax debts paid or a payment plan in place
• Postal address on the ABR updated for the cancellation notice
• Business name holder details current at ASIC
• Records from the last 5 years boxed up or backed up

Share Print

How to cancel your ABN, step by step

Most people cancel online. To do that you need a myID (Digital ID) at the right strength and the ABN linked to you through Relationship Authorisation Manager (RAM). Sole traders usually link their own ABN in RAM in a few minutes; companies and trusts need an authorised principal to do it.

Cancelling an ABN online

1. 1

   Log in to ABR online services

   Go to the ABR website and choose Continue with Digital ID, then sign in with your myID.

   ABR — Cancel your ABN
2. 2

   Select Cancel ABN

   Choose the ABN if you're authorised for more than one, then select Cancel ABN.

3. 3

   Answer the prompts

   Confirm that the business has ceased trading or been sold and enter the date. Make sure the date matches what you'll report on your final BAS.

4. 4

   Submit

   Online changes to an ABN take effect immediately. Your GST, LCT, WET and fuel tax credit registrations and any myID authorisations for the ABN are cancelled with it.

   Tip: Save the confirmation. The formal notice arrives by post at your ABR postal address.

If you can't cancel online — no myID, or RAM isn't set up — you can ask your registered tax agent or BAS agent to do it through their online services, phone the ABR, or lodge a paper form by mail. GST and other tax registrations can also be cancelled separately through Online services for business, by phoning the ATO on 13 28 66, or with the Application to cancel registration (NAT 2955).

Cancelling GST and lodging your final BAS

GST runs on its own, tighter clock. You or your registered tax or BAS agent must cancel your GST registration within 21 days of selling or closing the business, or changing its structure (for example, partnership to company). Because cancelling the ABN cancels GST automatically, cancelling the ABN promptly also meets the GST deadline.

The cancellation date you pick should be the last day you want to be registered, and the ATO usually cancels from that date. Three limits apply: you can't backdate the cancellation to a time when you were still operating as GST-registered, you can't keep trading as GST-registered after it, and you can't choose a date inside a period for which you've already lodged the activity statement.

You can also cancel GST while keeping the business going if your turnover has fallen below the A$75,000 registration threshold — unless you're a taxi or ride-sourcing driver, or one of the other groups the ATO says must stay registered.

Your final BAS is for the tax period your cancellation takes effect in. It must report all sales, purchases and importations in that period, including the sale of the business and of any business assets, plus an adjustment for assets you still hold after cancelling, and any other adjustments. Cash-basis businesses also bring in sales and purchases from earlier periods that haven't yet been reported. If you're selling the business as a going concern, check the ATO's going concern conditions before you lodge, because they change how the sale is treated. Our BAS statement guide explains the labels.

The asset adjustment most people miss

If you keep business assets you claimed GST credits on — a vehicle, tools, a laptop — you may have to repay part of those credits through an increasing adjustment on the final BAS. Whether you do depends on the asset's adjustment periods: usually your June tax periods, starting with the first June period at least 12 months after the period you bought the asset. If all of them have passed before cancellation, there's no adjustment.

The ATO's tables give assets not used for business finance 2 adjustment periods if they cost A$1,001 to A$5,000 (excluding GST), 5 if they cost A$5,001 to A$499,999, and 10 at A$500,000 or more. The ATO notes, for example, that you usually wouldn't repay credits on a car held for more than five complete financial years. Where an adjustment is due, it's one-eleventh of the asset's market value at cancellation, multiplied by its percentage of business use. No adjustment is needed when the cancellation relates to a deceased estate.

Worked example: a landscaper closes up

Jordan is a sole trader landscaper in Brisbane, registered for GST and lodging quarterly. He takes a full-time job and does his last paid job on 28 November 2026. He has no employees.

Jordan's closing timeline

28 November

Last day of trading — invoices his final clients

Early December

Cancels ABN online with a cease date of 28 November (within 28 days); GST cancels with it, inside the 21 days limit

December

Lodges a cancellation with ASIC for his business name — cancelled 28 days later

By 28 February

Lodges the final BAS for the October–December quarter, including the asset adjustment

After 30 June

Lodges his individual tax return with the business schedule for the part-year

Jordan keeps the ride-on mower and trailer he bought in August 2024 for A$16,500 including GST (A$15,000 excluding GST), on which he claimed A$1,500 in GST credits. At A$15,000 it has five adjustment periods. Its purchase quarter ended September 2024, so the first June period at least 12 months later is June 2026, and the periods run to June 2030 — they haven't expired. Its market value at cancellation is A$11,000 and it was used 100% for the business.

His increasing adjustment is A$11,000 ÷ 11 × 100% = A$1,000, reported on the final BAS along with the GST on his October–November sales. If he'd used the mower 60% for business, the adjustment would be A$600. If he sells the mower before cancelling instead, he charges GST on the sale and reports it as an ordinary sale. You can check the GST arithmetic on any price with our Australia GST calculator.

Cancelling your business name with ASIC

The ABR and ASIC are separate registers, and cancelling your ABN doesn't tidy up ASIC for you. If you hold a registered business name you no longer need, cancel it yourself. Only the holder can, or someone they authorise with their ASIC key — an accountant, a lawyer or a family member.

In ASIC Connect, open the Lodgements and notifications tab, select the business name, choose Cancel/transfer business name, then select I would like to cancel the business name and submit. ASIC sends the holder a notice of intent to cancel and cancels the name 28 days after you apply, then sends a written confirmation. The name stays on the register marked as cancelled. ASIC doesn't refund any unused registration period, and after cancellation nobody can use the name for 4 months — during which you can't change your mind and have it restored.

ASIC business name timings

28 days

From your cancellation request to the name being cancelled

4 months

Name held after a cancellation you asked for — no one can register it

2 months

Notice ASIC gives before cancelling a name itself

6 months

Window to restore a name ASIC cancelled for non-renewal

If you're selling the business and the buyer wants the name, transfer it instead of cancelling. If you're renaming, register the new name first and cancel the old one afterwards.

Doing nothing is an option, but an untidy one. ASIC keeps sending mail and renewal reminders, and can cancel the name itself — most often for non-renewal, but also if it's satisfied you haven't traded under it for three months. ASIC gives two months' notice before cancelling, and a name cancelled for non-renewal can be restored within 6 months. See our business name registration guide if you'll need a name again.

Companies, partnerships and trusts

Companies. Cancelling a company's ABN doesn't end the company — only deregistration with ASIC does that, and the company's ASIC obligations (annual review fee, keeping details current) continue until then. A company that is closing usually cancels GST and PAYG withholding, lodges its final BAS and company tax return, and then applies for voluntary deregistration or is wound up. A dormant company that will trade again can keep its ABN but must cancel GST.

Partnerships. A partnership's ABN belongs to that particular partnership. If a partner leaves and a new partnership forms, that's generally a new entity needing a new ABN. The ABR also cancels partnership ABNs where there's evidence they no longer carry on an enterprise; in its notice to tax professionals it flagged partnerships with no income tax return or activity statement lodged for the last 2 years. Charities, not-for-profits and non-reporting members of GST or income tax groups were exempt. If a letter about this doesn't arrive, it usually means the contact details on the ABR are out of date.

Trusts. The trustee cancels the trust's ABN when the trust stops carrying on its enterprise, and still lodges the trust's final tax return. Vesting or winding up the trust is a separate legal step under the trust deed.

After you cancel: what still applies

Once the ABN is cancelled, ABN Lookup shows it as cancelled, with the date, and you can no longer use it. Anyone who pays you for business supplies without a valid ABN quoted may have to withhold 47% — so don't keep invoicing under a cancelled number. If you'll do occasional work after closing, decide first whether it's really an enterprise (in which case keep the ABN) or a one-off.

You still have to:

• lodge your final BAS for the period the cancellation takes effect in;
• lodge a final income tax return — the business schedule on your individual return for sole traders, or the partnership, trust or company return;
• keep PAYG instalments in mind: if you were in the instalment system, your final return will reconcile them, and you can vary or stop instalments once the business income has gone;
• keep your records — the ATO generally requires 5 years for business records;
• deal with any capital gains on selling the business or its assets, where the small business CGT concessions may help.

You won't receive future activity statements unless you're still registered for PAYG withholding or PAYG instalments.

Reactivating or reapplying for an ABN

There's no separate "reactivate" button. If you start trading again, you reapply for an ABN through the ABR and quote your old number. The ATO says that if you keep the same business structure, you'll be issued the ABN you had before. A sole trader who closed in 2026 and starts a new venture later as a sole trader gets the same number back, provided they're carrying on an enterprise at the time.

If the structure changes — you restart as a company instead of a sole trader — you get a new ABN for the new entity. The ABR assesses entitlement afresh each time, so be ready to show evidence that you're carrying on or starting a business. The ABN registration guide covers the entitlement test and the application.

A business name, by contrast, may not come back. If it was cancelled at your request, it's held for 4 months and then anyone can register it — check availability before you rely on it.

Common mistakes when cancelling an ABN

Cancelling before cancelling PAYG withholding. The ABR requires PAYG withholding to be cancelled first. Finalise STP and super for every employee, then cancel.

Choosing a cancellation date that clashes with a lodged BAS. You can't cancel GST from a date inside a period you've already lodged for. Pick a date and lodge the final BAS afterwards.

Forgetting the asset adjustment. Keeping the work vehicle or tools is common; repaying part of the GST credits on them is easy to miss and leaves the final BAS wrong.

Leaving the ABN open "just in case". An active ABN with no activity still generates lodgment obligations and, for partnerships, can be cancelled by the Registrar anyway. If you're genuinely pausing, keep lodging nil activity statements; if not, cancel.

Assuming the business name went with the ABN. It didn't. Cancel it in ASIC Connect or transfer it to the buyer.

Official links

• ABR — Cancel your ABN
• ATO — Cancelling business registrations
• ATO — Cancelling your GST registration
• ATO — Adjusting for assets retained after cancelling GST
• ASIC — Cancel a business name registration
• ABN Lookup — check an ABN's status

What to do next

Work through the checklist above in order: employees and PAYG withholding, outstanding lodgments, then the ABN (which takes GST with it), then the business name. Diarise the final BAS and your final tax return, and keep your records. If you're closing because you're moving into a company, read ABN vs ACN and the company registration guide so the new entity's numbers are in place before the old ones go. And if you restart later, the ABN registration guide gets you your number back.

This is general information, not legal or tax advice — confirm on the official source or with a professional.

Frequently asked questions

How do I cancel my ABN?

Log in to ABR online services with your myID (linked to the ABN through Relationship Authorisation Manager), choose Cancel ABN, confirm the business has ceased or been sold, and submit — online changes take effect immediately. You can also ask your registered tax agent, phone the ABR, or post the cancellation form. Lodge outstanding activity statements and cancel PAYG withholding first.

How long do I have to cancel my ABN after closing my business?

The ABR says that if your business has stopped operating you must update your details or cancel your ABN within 28 days. GST registration has a tighter deadline: you or your tax or BAS agent must cancel it within 21 days of selling or closing the business or changing its structure. Cancelling the ABN cancels GST automatically, so doing it promptly covers both.

Does cancelling my ABN cancel my GST registration?

Yes. Cancelling an ABN also cancels GST, luxury car tax, wine equalisation tax and fuel tax credit registrations and removes authorisations linked to it. It does not cancel PAYG withholding — that must be cancelled first — and it does not remove your obligation to lodge a final BAS, final tax return and any employee or super reporting.

Does cancelling my ABN cancel my business name?

Not directly — the ABR and ASIC are separate registers. Cancel the business name yourself through ASIC Connect; ASIC cancels it 28 days after you apply, refunds nothing, and holds the name for 4 months. If you do nothing, ASIC can cancel it later for non-renewal or for not trading under it for three months.

Can I reactivate a cancelled ABN?

You reapply rather than switch it back on. Apply for an ABN through the ABR and quote your previous ABN. If you're the same entity with the same structure — for example the same individual trading as a sole trader again — you'll be issued the same ABN, provided you're carrying on an enterprise. A new structure, such as a company, gets a new ABN.

Should I cancel my ABN if I'm just taking a break?

Usually not. The ATO says not to cancel if you're pausing and plan to restart, or still use the ABN for another business. Instead keep the ABN, lodge any activity statements that fall due (nil ones if there's no activity) and keep your details current. If the break becomes permanent, cancel then.

Sources & verification

Figures on this page were checked against the sources below when it was last reviewed on 11 October 2026. Each rate and limit is stored once with its own official source and review date, and official update channels are monitored daily so changes are picked up. How we verify

1. 1.Cancel your ABN — Australian Business Register · accessed 11 October 2026
2. 2.When should you cancel your ABN — Australian Business Register · accessed 11 October 2026
3. 3.Cancelling business registrations — Australian Taxation Office · accessed 11 October 2026
4. 4.Cancelling your GST registration — Australian Taxation Office · accessed 11 October 2026
5. 5.Completing your last GST activity statement — Australian Taxation Office · accessed 11 October 2026
6. 6.Adjusting for assets retained after cancelling GST registration — Australian Taxation Office · accessed 11 October 2026
7. 7.Cancel a business name registration — ASIC · accessed 11 October 2026
8. 8.When ASIC cancels a business name — ASIC · accessed 11 October 2026
9. 9.ABN cancellation for partnerships — Australian Business Register · accessed 11 October 2026