A farm's ABN can be checked for free, with no sign-up, on ABN Lookup. It shows whether the ABN is active, the legal name, the entity type, GST and the state and postcode. It does not say whether the business pays well or whether a job counts towards a visa. On piece rates, the horticulture award sets a daily floor: the hourly rate multiplied by the hours worked.
How do you look up an ABN?
You search by number or by name on the ABN Lookup home page:
- By number: an ABN has 11 digits. The site also searches by ACN, the company number, and has a format checker.
- By name: according to its search tips, it works best with the name as complete as possible.
- Tabs: active ABNs shows only active ones. All ABNs also shows cancelled ones.
- Filters: the advanced search filters by state or by postcode, and by type of name.
What does each detail mean?
Each record shows these details, according to the glossary and the questions on names:
| Detail | What it shows |
|---|---|
| ABN status | Active or Cancelled, with its date. Cancelled means the business has stopped operating |
| Entity name | Legal name: the person's name if they are a sole trader, or the registered name if it is a company |
| Entity type | Legal form, such as Individual/Sole Trader, Australian Private Company or Family Partnership |
| Goods & Services Tax | Whether it is registered for GST and since when |
| Main business location | Only the state and postcode |
| Business name | Registered trading name. The register is kept by ASIC, the companies regulator |
| Trading name | Historical detail from before 2012, with no legal value |
What does ABN Lookup not tell you?
It does not say whether the business is legitimate or how it treats its people:
- No contact details or sector: it does not include a full address, email, phone number or activity code. It does not prove the business is a farm or where the work is done.
- No guarantee: it is updated every hour, but the site warns that it does not guarantee the data is accurate, because it depends on what businesses declare.
- The one who pays may not be the farm: it may be a labour hire company. The Victorian and South Australian registers are in the farm work guide. For Queensland, Southern Downs council refers you to labourhire.qld.gov.au and 1300 576 088.
First Migration Service, a third party, cites three things: that the ABN is active, that the name matches the payslips and that the type of business is related to the work. That is their criterion, not a rule we have read.
What if I am asked for an ABN?
An ABN does not make you a contractor. business.gov.au says that calling an employee a contractor is illegal, and it is called sham contracting. The differences are in what an ABN is and when it is used.
What does Fair Work say about piece rates?
Someone paid by the piece under the horticulture award cannot receive less per day than their hourly rate multiplied by the hours worked. This is set by clause 15.2. We could not check the Fair Work Ombudsman website, so we do not cite its current pages. According to a 2022 statement from it, reproduced by Mirage News, this guarantee applies from the first full pay period starting on or after 28 April 2022.
The floor, the signed agreement and the signs of abuse are in the farm work guide. The award adds this:
- Other tasks: anything that is not the piece rate task is paid by the hour.
- Allowances: paid on top of the piece rate, except the meal allowance.
- Public holidays: 200% of the piece rate.
- Overtime: the clauses on hours of work and overtime do not apply to someone paid by the piece.
- Signed agreement: includes the start date and time, task, piece rate, your hourly rate and the wording about the daily floor.
The Tasmanian Government adds that group rates should not be used, because you are paid for each person's own output.
What does earning 15% more mean?
The piece rate must allow an average competent worker to earn at least 15% more than their hourly rate. These figures apply that calculation to the award rates from July 2026. The multiplication is ours, using the same method as the 2022 statement.
| Level | Per hour | With 15% | Casual | Casual with 15% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | A$25.74 | A$29.60 | A$32.18 | A$37.01 |
| Level 2 | A$26.44 | A$30.41 | A$33.05 | A$38.01 |
| Level 3 | A$26.84 | A$30.87 | A$33.55 | A$38.58 |
This does not set what each person will earn. It is the reference for calculating the price, and the daily floor still applies separately. The casual rate for Levels 2 and 3 is also our own calculation.
What is the minimum wage?
The national minimum wage is A$26.44 per hour from July 2026, according to the law firm Squire Patton Boggs. If there is an award, its rate applies, and the horticulture award starts at A$25.74 (Level 1). The law firm gives that same figure for the temporary entry-level category, C14.
Each case is calculated with PACT, the official calculator. There is more detail in minimum wage and rights.
Does the ABN count for the second visa?
This register does not answer that. See the official list and second and third visa, with the announced ballot, which is not yet law.
This guide gives general information. It is not legal, tax or visa advice.
What could we not confirm?
- Fair Work Ombudsman: we could not check its website, nor its page on piece rates. Its phone number, 13 13 94, comes from Southern Downs.
- National minimum wage: we have not seen it on an official website.
- ABN on payslips: we have not opened an official source that says whether it should appear.
- Queensland and ASIC: we could not check the Queensland licence register or the ASIC search.
Sources
Seen on 5 November 2026.
- ABN Lookup, official: home page, format, search, glossary, entity types, questions, names and sample record.
- business.gov.au, official.
- Horticulture Award, MA000028, official, version up to 1 July 2026.
- Tasmanian Government, official.
- Southern Downs Regional Council, official, undated.
- Mirage News, 28 April 2022, third party, reproduces a Fair Work Ombudsman statement.
- Squire Patton Boggs, third party.
- First Migration Service, 2 January 2026, third party.