ABN Lookup web services is an easy way to add value to your business software. It can reduce the time your software users spend verifying the business and GST registrations of their suppliers. These verifications can be done instantly from within your software utilising ABN Lookup web services.
ABN Lookup web services provide direct access to the Australian Business Register (ABR), the central repository for all business registrations in Australia, which was about 7.2 million at June 2015.
Valid ABR entries provide certainty that a supplier is a registered business and registered for GST. Only when these two conditions are met can a business validly claim input tax credits.
The Commissioner of Taxation wants to provide certainty and has said 'If you primarily rely on information about another entity in ABN Lookup to self-assess your taxation liabilities or entitlements, and that information turns out to be incorrect:
- the Commissioner will not take compliance action to recover any tax shortfall
- you will also be protected against any false or misleading statement penalty and any interest charges.'
There were in excess of 475 million searches last year and a number of software developers have already taken advantage of ABN Lookup web services.
Integrating ABN Lookup web services into your products is easy:
- the ABR already has the needed Application Programming Interface (API) available; and
- the programming guidance you need is published on the ABN Lookup website at web services.