Can I reactivate a cancelled ABN?

Yes, it is possible to reinstate your ABN provided that there are no restrictions placed upon you prohibiting you from doing so.

To do this, you must submit an ABN application here. You must include the cancelled ABN in the form when asked to provide it. The ATO will reinstate your old ABN, rather than provide a new one for the same entity. This will be reflected on the ABN lookup.

Generally, when reactivating a cancelled ABN there is a chance the application will be flagged for manual review by the ATO, which can take up to 28 days. This usually occurs when the ATO determines that further checks are necessary to determine your eligibility. If this is the case, you can contact the ATO to discuss the application and have the processing time expedited.

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Updated — Mar 15, 2019