When you finish working in Australia and are no longer carrying on a business or contracting activity, you should cancel your Australian Business Number (ABN). This is a simple process and helps keep the Australian Business Register accurate. It also ensures you are not left with any administrative obligations after you have left the country.
How to cancel your ABN
You cancel your ABN through the Australian Business Register (ABR) website. Log in using your myGovID credentials, navigate to your ABN record, and select the option to cancel. You will be asked for the date your business activity ceased, which is typically the date of your last invoice or your last day of contracting work.
The cancellation takes effect from the date you provide and your ABN will be listed as cancelled from that point forward.
Why you should cancel it
Leaving an ABN active when you are no longer using it is not a major legal risk, but it can cause administrative complications. If the ABR sends correspondence to your Australian address after you have left, you may miss important notices. There is also a risk of confusion if you ever return to Australia, as you would need to reactivate the same ABN or apply for a new one depending on your circumstances.
Cancelling it cleanly when you leave keeps everything tidy.
Before you cancel
Make sure you have lodged your tax return for any financial years in which you earned income under your ABN. If the financial year has not yet ended when you leave, you will need to lodge a return after the year closes on 30 June. This can be done from overseas and is something we help with regularly.
Also check whether you have any outstanding invoices to issue or payments to collect before cancelling. Once your ABN is cancelled, issuing invoices under it is no longer correct.
Claiming your super before you go
If you had superannuation contributions made in connection with your contracting work, do not forget to apply for your super back using the DASP process before or after leaving Australia.
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