Before you start, have these ready
- The registered company name, plus every trading, partnership and earlier name used
- The ABN and ACN, and an ASIC company extract if the entity still exists
- Directors' and partners' personal names, for records entered against an individual
- Every state the business traded, held premises or paid deposits in
- Invoices, deposit receipts, bond records and old bank statements
Search every business name you've used
Search the registered company name, every trading name, any partnership name, and earlier versions of the name if the business has been rebranded or restructured.
Registers match on the name exactly as the institution recorded it, so abbreviations such as Pty Ltd, P/L and Proprietary Limited should each be tried.
Also search the directors' personal names - deposits and refunds are often recorded against an individual rather than the entity.
Deregistered companies
When a company is deregistered, property it still holds vests in ASIC. Money owed to a deregistered company can be claimed by a person who would be entitled to it, or the company can be reinstated to receive it.
For small amounts ASIC can pay a claimant directly. For larger amounts or ongoing assets, reinstatement through ASIC or a court order may be required.
Former directors and shareholders are the usual claimants, and must prove both their role in the company and the company's entitlement to the money.
Where else to look
State revenue office registers hold unclaimed trust money, overpaid duties and refunds owed to businesses. Check every state you have traded in, not only where you are based.
AFSA holds money from insolvent estates. Share registries hold undelivered dividends for corporate holdings, and utility providers and landlords hold unrefunded commercial deposits and bonds.
How business money becomes unclaimed
Common examples include a customer or supplier refund sent to a closed account, an unpaid distribution after a supplier entered insolvency, a trust balance held by a solicitor or agent, and funds left in the name of a deregistered company.
A sole trader should search both the trading name and personal name. A company should be searched under its current and former registered names, including common abbreviations.
Step by step
- 1
Search MoneySmart under the registered company name, then under each trading name.
- 2
Repeat with abbreviations. Pty Ltd, P/L and Proprietary Limited are stored as different text and match differently.
- 3
Search each director's personal name, because deposits and refunds are often recorded against a person.
- 4
If the company is deregistered, check ASIC's page on money owed to a deregistered company. Small amounts can be paid to an entitled person; larger amounts or ongoing assets may need reinstatement.
- 5
Search AFSA if a customer, client or supplier of yours became insolvent.
- 6
Check the unclaimed money register of every state you traded in, not only the state you are based in.
- 7
Lodge the claim with an ASIC extract or equivalent proof you control the entity, your own identification, and evidence of the entitlement.
Example: a rebranded small business (hypothetical)
A cafe traded as one name for six years, restructured into a company with a new name, then closed. A utility deposit and a supplier refund were both recorded against the original trading name and returned undelivered. Searching the company name shows nothing. Searching the old trading name, and separately the owner's personal name, brings up two records in different states. Each is claimed through the register that holds it, with an ASIC extract, the old deposit receipt and photo identification.
Common mistakes
- Searching the current name only, after a rebrand or restructure.
- Skipping abbreviations of the entity type, which can cause a business record to be missed.
- Searching the entity but never the directors.
- Checking only the home state when the business traded interstate.
- Assuming money owed to a deregistered company is gone. It vests with ASIC and can be claimed by someone entitled to it.
I found a possible match, what now?
A listing is a record the authority holds, not proof the money is yours. Note the reference shown against it, check the details you recognise, then open the claim page on the official site and read what evidence it asks for before you start. You lodge the claim directly with that authority, never through this site.
What documents you may needI found nothing, what now?
A nil result usually means you searched the wrong register, the wrong spelling of a name, or too few variations of it. Try surname only, earlier surnames and each state you have lived in, then work through the troubleshooting steps before you give up.
Searched and found nothingTip: Search abbreviations and old trading names separately - registers match text exactly as it was recorded.
Common questions
Official sources checked
- Researched and reviewed by
- Find Lost Money Australia
- Information last verified
- 1 August 2026
Find Lost Money Australia is an independent information service, not a government agency. Our review checks the responsible agency's current page, search location and claim instructions. Agencies can change their rules, so confirm details on the official site before you act.
Keep looking
Continue your lost-money search
Money goes missing in more than one place. These are the next things worth checking.
- Business and company moneyTrust balances, deregistered company funds and refunds owed to a business you ran.
- Bankruptcy and wind-up moneyAFSA holds dividends from personal insolvency administrations that were never collected.
- Tax refunds and ATO creditsRefunds and credits the ATO could not pay out because it had no current details for you.
- Your state or territory registerEach state holds unclaimed refunds, deposits and trust money from businesses in that state.
Searching is free. Every register we link to lets you search at no cost, and you can lodge a claim yourself. Be cautious of any business that asks for an upfront fee simply to search a public register on your behalf. Find Lost Money Australia is an independent information service. We are not a government agency and we do not hold or search unclaimed money databases.