What happens if I have a Trust ABN on my Domain?

Why is my domain invalid if my Trust ABN is still active?

If you received a notification stating your domain is ineligible, but your ABN is still active and associated with a Trust, it typically indicates that the registration is incorrectly categorised under a trust-type entity.

From 2021, auDA, which is the policy body for .au domains, made a change in which you cannot directly register a domain name under a Trust type ABN.

It’s important to understand that while a Trust can hold the domain licence, it cannot be listed as the Registrant, because a Trust is not a legal entity. Instead, the domain’s registrant must be the Trustee of the trust.

How do I resolve this?

To resolve this, please reply to the email you received from us or email policy@ventraip.com.au. Our team will send you a form to declare the Trustee of the trust, which will fix the issue.

Please note: If the domain has been transferred to a new entity, you will need to do a Change of Registrant. Please refer to this guide here

🔍 How to identify the Trustee of a Trust

You’ll need to list the Trustee’s details as the Registrant, not the name of the Trust itself.

• For a company trustee, use the full company name and its ABN or ACN.

• For an individual trustee, use their full legal name.

You can find the Trustee listed in the trust deed. This will typically appear in one of two places:

• Near the start of the document in the Recitals section, in a sentence like: “John Citizen of 1 Sample Street, Hobart (‘the Trustee’)”
• At the end of the document on the Schedule page, next to a label such as: “Trustee: [Name]”

Make sure you use the Trustee’s name as shown in the deed, not just the Trust name.

A natural person as Trustee for a Trust

Registrant: First Name and Last Name as Trustee for <Name of Trust>

Registrant ID: <Leave Blank>

Eligibility Type: Trust

Eligibility ID: ABN of the trust

Eligibility Name: <Name of the Trust>

A company as Trustee for a Trust:

Registrant: Company Name Pty Ltd as Trustee for <Name of Trust>

Registrant ID: ACN or ABN of the Company Name

Eligibility Type: Trust

Eligibility ID: ABN of the Trust

Eligibility Name: <Name of the Trust>

If you have any questions about this process or need help interpreting your trust deed, our support team is available via LiveChat, eTicket or by calling 13 24 85.