Quick answer
Entity type is a label on every ABN record. It tells you the legal or organisational structure of the entity behind that ABN — whether it is a sole trader, a private company, a trust, or a partnership.
In the Australian Business Register, entity type is one of the first fields on any ABN record.
Why it matters
Entity type tells you whether you are looking at a one-person operation, a registered company, a trust, or something else. That distinction shapes how you read the rest of the record.
A sole trader record carries different implications from a company record. The entity behind each has different obligations, different registration patterns, and different reasons for status changes.
Say you are scanning a change feed and notice a status change on an ABN. That one field tells you whether the change affects an individual operating under their own name or a registered company with shareholders and directors. A cancelled ABN for a sole trader may simply mean the person stopped freelancing. The same status on a public company is a different signal entirely.
When comparing multiple records that share a similar business name, entity type is often the fastest way to tell them apart.
Common values
- Individual/Sole Trader — a person running a business under their own name or a registered business name. The most common type in the ABN register.
- Australian Private Company — a company registered with ASIC that does not trade publicly. Often identified by "Pty Ltd" in the name.
- Australian Public Company — a company registered with ASIC that is or can be publicly listed. Often identified by "Ltd" without the "Pty."
- Partnership — two or more people or entities running a business together under a shared ABN.
- Trust — a structure where a trustee holds assets or runs a business on behalf of beneficiaries. Common in property and investment contexts.
- Other Incorporated Entity — entities created under specific legislation, such as incorporated associations or cooperatives.
Where you will see it
Entity type appears as a visible field on every ABN record in the Australian Business Register. As ABN Signal introduces record pages and change feeds, entity type will also help contextualise detected changes — showing whether a status shift affects an individual, a company, or another structure.
The field is there to help you read and interpret records accurately.
What entity type tells you
Entity type identifies the registered legal structure — sole trader, company, trust, or partnership. It shapes how you interpret every other field on the record and helps distinguish entities with similar names.
For detailed corporate information (directors, shareholders, compliance history), check ASIC's register. For ABN-specific details, see the ABR.