Business Industry Code Tool

Searching by Business Activity

Search the work the business performs, then compare the matching descriptions with its actual activity. This industry code lookup searches the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) business industry code list and Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) class definitions separately.

Start with a broad word such as building or consulting. Add another activity word to narrow the results. The search accepts partial words and ignores capital letters and punctuation, but every search word must match.

The example search, mortgage broking, returns tax-reporting code 64110 with the description Mortgage broking service. Searching a complete code shows every activity description listed under that code. Keep leading zeros, such as 01110 for nursery activities under cover.

In ANZSIC class mode, the search also includes published primary activities. Read the class scope and exclusions beside a result. Use the next and previous buttons to compare nearby matches before selecting the description that fits.

BIC and ANZSIC Codes

A business industry code (BIC) is a five-digit code for the main business activity reported on relevant tax returns and schedules. The Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC) groups activities for industry statistics. Its class codes have four digits.

This tool bundles the ATO Business Industry codes 2026 list and ANZSIC 2006 (Revision 2.0). Each result shows the selected list version. Tax mode retains the ATO workbook’s published class mapping, while ANZSIC mode shows the ABS class definition and its exclusions.

Those descriptions can differ in ways that affect the choice. The ATO list puts Mortgage broking service under 64110 and maps it to class 6411. The ABS definition of class 6411 excludes arranging home loans for others on a commission or fee basis and directs that activity to 6419.

Use the code system required by the record you are completing. Changing modes searches another list; it does not convert a tax code into a decision about the correct statistical classification. A BIC match also does not establish a lender’s industry category or risk decision.

The tax activity data is adapted from the ATO Business Industry codes dataset under Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Australia. Class descriptions and exclusions are adapted from ABS ANZSIC under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International. Bulma has combined and formatted the lists for browser search.

Choosing Between Several Activities

The ATO’s main-activity guidance says to use the activity that gives the highest gross income or smallest loss. A broad business title can cover several activities, so use the description of the work that generates that income.

For example, a business with $180,000 of building income and $40,000 of consulting income searches its building activity for tax reporting. The example illustrates the main-activity rule; the business still needs a description that matches the building work it performs.

For a self-employed lending file, compare the chosen description with the activity recorded on the client’s tax return and business registration. A difference can reflect a changed activity or a different classification system. Establish which code the relevant record uses before treating the difference as an error.

If the work changes, the ATO explains how to update the code on the next income tax return and Australian Business Register record. Keep the activity description with the code so the next person reviewing the file can understand the selection.