Modernising Business Registers program

As part of its Digital Business Plan, the government announced the full implementation of the Modernising Business Registers (MBR) program to:

• establish Australian Business Registry Services (ABRS)
• streamline how you register, view, and maintain your business information with government.

The ABRS will:

• progressively roll out between 2021 and 2024
• introduce the director identification number (director ID) initiative
• bring together more than 30 ASIC registers and the Australian Business Register (ABR) in one place.

The MBR program is being implemented by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO).

On 4 April 2021, the Commissioner of Taxation was appointed as Registrar under the:

• Business Names Registration Act 2011
• Commonwealth Registers Act 2020
• Corporations Act 2001
• National Consumer Credit Protection Act 2009.

The Registrar's role is to lead and implement the MBR program and perform statutory registry functions and exercise powers under the relevant laws.

Initially, this will include assisting ASIC perform statutory registry functions and exercise its powers, as a delegate of ASIC.

At a later stage the Registrar will assume primary responsibility for those functions under law.

This change doesn't affect your registry obligations or how you interact with us, at this time.

Companies release

The companies release is a major milestone of the program. It will provide over three million companies with a more streamlined way to register, view and maintain company details using ABRS online.

Planned for later in the program, the companies release will move registry information to ABRS online from the following ASIC registers:

• Australian public companies
• Australian private companies
• registered Australian bodies
• foreign companies.

Information and search services related to these four ASIC registers will then also be available on ABRS. This includes ABN details and company search services.

For now, we ask that you continue to keep your details with ASIC, the ATO and the ABR up to date, as you do now. This will ensure that when the time comes to transition your details, they are current. 

What’s already changed

In 2021 the director ID requirement was introduced with a new ABRS website and online service to apply for a director ID.

On 15 April 2021, ASIC registry staff moved to the ATO in a Machinery of Government administrative change to assist the Registrar.

What’s not changing

For now, how you register, search and get extracts of the registers, and interact with us remains the same.

To keep up to date with the MBR program and future changes, visit ato.gov.au/mbr.