How to register a business name if the holder is a partnership

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You can lodge an application for a business name online from your ASIC Connect account.

This guide explains how to apply for a business name if the holder is a partnership. Other business name holder types will result in different screens and questions being asked.

You must have an ABN or an ABN application reference number to apply for a business name (unless an exemption applies).

Please note: if you are in the process of reinstating a cancelled ABN you will need to wait for this to be finalised with the Australian Business Register before you apply for a business name with ASIC.

We have different payment methods you can use to pay your registration fee. These include paying online by credit card or later by BPAY or invoice.

Further assistance using ASIC Connect can be accessed via the Help button at the top right-hand side of the screen.

Get started

To get started, visit the ASIC website at www.asic.gov.au.

Click on the blue ASIC Connect box. This will take you to ASIC Connect.

Go to ASIC Connect and select 'Log in'.

If you do not have an ASIC Connect account select 'Sign up'.

You can refer to our user guide How to sign up for an ASIC Connect account.

Log in

If you do not have an ASIC Conect select 'Sign up'. Your password must be a minimum of nine characters long and contain at least three of the following:

an uppercase letter (A-Z) or a lowercase letter (a-z)
a number (0-9)
a symbol (!, $, #, %).

Home

Once you have logged in, the home screen will be visible.

'myTransactions' displays your most recent transactions. The following information may be visible under Transaction status, depending on what transactions you have started recently:

Incomplete - The transactions has not been completed and must be resumed and submitted in order for ASIC to process it.
Validated - The transaction has not been completed and must be resumed and submitted in order for ASIC to process it.
In Progress - The transaction has been submitted and is currently being processed, it cannot be resumed.
Completed - The transaction has been fully submitted and processed, it cannot be resumed.

Select the 'Licenses & Registrations' tab to begin registering a business name.

Register a business name

Select 'Business names registration' from the drop-down box.

Select 'Go' to continue.

Read the information about applying for a business name.

Tick the boxes under 'Things to be aware of' after you have read each paragraph.
Select 'Get Started' to start your application.

ABN options

To apply for a business name, you must have either:

an ABN or
an ABN application reference number.

Select the relevant ABN option.

Enter the 'ABN' or 'ABN application reference number' in the field provided.
Select 'Next' to continue.

Business name availability

Enter the proposed business name into the field provided. Select 'Check name availability'.

The name you have entered will be highlighted in either of the following colours:

green - the name is available for registration
amber - manual decision is required by ASIC or
red - the name is unavailable. You will need to enter another business name.

Review the existing business names similar to the one you have proposed.

Select your preferred registration period (1 year or 3 years).
Select 'Next' to continue.

Note: If you select 'Save & Exit' this will save the application for resuming at a later date. This does not completed the transaction.

Business name holder details

You must now add the details of each of the partners within your partnership.

Select whether the partner is:

an individual
a company or
an organisation.

Select 'Add partner'.

If you are adding a partner that is an individual, go to Add a partner - Individual (page 12).
If you are adding a partner that is a company, go to Add a partner - Company (page 13).
If you are adding a partner that is an organisation, go to Add a partner - Organisation (page 14).

Add a partner - Individual

Enter the 'Individual Partner Details'.

Note: Some of this information will be publicly available. Select 'How we use your information' for more details.

Select 'Save partner'.
Select 'Next' to continue and go to Add, edit and confirm details (page 15).

Add a partner - Company

Enter the 'Company Partner Details'.

Note: Some of this information will be publicly available. Select 'How we use your information' for more details.

Select 'Save partner'.
Select 'Next' to continue and go to Add, edit and confirm details (page 15).

Add a partner - Organisation

Enter the organisation name.

Select whether the representative is an individual or a company.

Note: The organisation must add at least one organisational representative.

Select 'Add representative'.
Enter the 'company representative' or 'individual representative' details.
- For a 'company representative' enter ACN/ARBN and email address.
- For a 'individual representative' enter full name, birth details, residential address and email address.
Select 'Save representative'.
Select 'Next' to continue.

Add, edit and confirm details

Once you have added a partner you are able to:

add another partner
remove a partner or
edit the details that you have provided.

Once all partners have been added, select 'Next' to continue.

Addresses

You must provide an address for service of documents, a principal place of business address and an email address. These addresses are mandatory. An SMS address (mobile number) is optional.

Under the Actions column select '+Add' to add the relevant information.

Select whether the address is a street or postal address from the drop-down box and
Enter the address details in the fields provided.
Select 'Save address'.

Repeat the above steps to add the required addresses.

Select 'Next' to continue.

Eligibility

Read the eligibility requirements for each person involved in the management of the applicant entity.

Tick the box to confirm you have read and understood the information.
Select 'Next' to continue.

Review

Review the business name details. Ensure you check that the business name is spelt correctly. You cannot go back to change this information once the application is complete.

Select 'Edit' to change any details that are incorrect.
Select 'Submit' to continue.

Declare

Read the declaration to ensure you agree with the conditions of the transaction.

Tick both boxes to confirm you agree.
Tick you authority for submitting the transaction.
- If you are lodging on behalf of the applicant, you can select to add the business name to your ASIC Connect account.
Select 'Next' to continue.

Payment

You can choose to pay for your registration using a credit card or BPAY. Alternatively, you can request an invoice to be sent to you and pay later.

Select the 'Pay now' option.
Select 'Pay now' to proceed.

Enter your credit card details.

Select 'Submit' to process the payment.

If you want to pay at a later date, you can do so by using BPAY or requesting an invoice to be sent to you.

Select the 'Pay later' option.
Select the 'Invoice' or 'BPAY' option.
- If you select 'Invoice', it will be sent to your email address that was added in the transaction.
- If you select 'BPAY' you will need to print or make note of the BPAY details and process your payment with your financial institution.
Select 'Pay Later'.

Confirmation

If you selected 'Pay Now', a confirmation of your transaction will be displayed.

Select 'Print the transaction' to download a printable PDF version of the transaction.
Select one of the links under What else can I do for more information about other services or
Select 'Home' to return to the ASIC Connect home page.

If you selected 'Pay Later', a yellow screen will appear to state 'Pay Later - You have successfully applied to register a business name'.

This invoice will be emailed to your email address that was added in this transaction, not the email address associated with your ASIC Connect account. Payment must be made within 10 business days.

ASIC