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Non-resident ABN & GST registration
For overseas businesses selling into Australia. The identity requirements for non-resident applicants are the hard part — we know exactly what the ATO accepts and manage the whole application from your side of the time zone.
Fixed fee, agreed before we start — quoted within one business day.
What's included
- ✓Full ABN and standard GST application for your overseas entity
- ✓Proof-of-identity documentation prepared to ATO requirements — the step where most applications fail
- ✓All ATO correspondence handled by us as your registered agent
- ✓Advice on standard vs simplified GST — including which one lets you recover import GST
How it works
- 1 We confirm what you need
Threshold, structure, and which registration type fits how you sell.
- 2 You send documents once
A precise checklist — certified correctly, no guesswork, no repeats.
- 3 We lodge and follow up
Application in, ATO queries answered by us.
- 4 You’re registered
ABN and GST active, BAS cycle set up, import GST recoverable where eligible.
Common questions
Do I need an Australian company to sell into Australia?
Generally no. A foreign company can register for GST, and obtain an ABN, in its own right. Setting up an Australian subsidiary is a separate decision with its own tax and compliance consequences — it is rarely required simply to sell into the Australian market.
When does a non-resident business have to register for GST?
Registration may be required once your GST turnover from sales connected with Australia reaches A$75,000 in any 12-month period. What counts is the Australian-connected portion of your sales, not your worldwide revenue. Because the threshold is forward-looking as well as backward-looking, businesses growing quickly often need to register before they reach it on paper.
What is the difference between simplified and standard GST registration?
Simplified GST registration is an online process that issues an ARN rather than an ABN. It is quick and needs no Australian identity documents, but it does not allow you to claim GST credits. Standard GST registration requires an ABN and identity verification, and it does allow you to claim GST credits — including the GST you pay at the border on imported stock. Sellers importing goods into Australia are usually better off with standard registration.
Can I claim back the GST I paid at the Australian border?
Potentially yes, but only if you hold standard GST registration and you are the importer of record for those goods. This is the single most common reason non-resident sellers overpay: they use simplified registration, or they are not the importer on the customs entry, and the 10% paid at the border is never recovered.
My marketplace already collects GST — do I still need to register?
Often yes. Electronic distribution platforms are liable for GST on certain sales made through them, but that does not necessarily cover every sale you make, and it does not deal with the GST you pay on importing your own stock. Sellers frequently find their marketplace handles part of the picture and not the rest.
How long does registration take for a non-resident?
The paperwork is straightforward; proving identity is the slow part. Non-resident applicants must satisfy the ATO’s identity requirements, which is where most applications stall or get rejected. Preparing the identity evidence correctly at the outset is usually the difference between a quick registration and months of back-and-forth.
Ready when you are.
Tell us what you need — a fixed-fee quote within one business day, in English or Mandarin.