# What is an ACN or ABN?

> An ACN is a company's Australian Company Number; an ABN is its Australian Business Number. Here's why they appear on your debt notice.

**URL:** https://help.merion.com.au/help/what-is-an-acn-or-abn/
**Topic:** About your debt
**Topic URL:** https://help.merion.com.au/help-topic/about-your-debt/
**Site:** Merion Help Centre — https://help.merion.com.au/
**Publisher:** Merion Pty Limited | contact@merion.com.au | (08) 6325 5761

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An **ACN (Australian Company Number)** is a unique nine-digit number issued to a company when it is registered with ASIC (the Australian Securities and Investments Commission). Every Australian company has one. It identifies the legal entity — the company itself — rather than the business name it trades under.

An **ABN (Australian Business Number)** is an eleven-digit number issued by the Australian Taxation Office. It identifies a business for tax and dealings with government, and can be held by any type of business — a company, a sole trader, a partnership or a trust. You can look up any ABN at **abn.business.gov.au**.

You may see one or both of these numbers on your debt notice for a few reasons:

- Merion's own ACN or ABN appears because we are required to identify ourselves as a registered business.

- The original creditor's ABN or ACN may appear so you can independently verify who they are.

- If the notice relates to a debt incurred by a company you operate, your company's ACN may be shown as the debtor entity.

If a number on the notice does not match the business you expected, or you want to verify any entity involved, both the ASIC register and the ABN Lookup tool are free and publicly accessible.

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*This page is part of the [Merion Help Centre](https://help.merion.com.au/) — answers for businesses recovering a debt and for anyone who has received a notice from us.*