What do I need to set up a business in Victoria?

Federal registrations (structure, ABN, business name if needed, GST if required), any licences and permits that apply to your industry, council approvals for premises and signage, and payroll tax and insurance if you hire.

How do I find which licences my Victorian business needs?

Use the Australian Business Licence and Information Service (ABLIS), which lists federal, state and local licences and permits for your business type.

Do I need a permit for business signage in Victoria?

Business Victoria says you usually need a planning or building permit to attach signage. Requirements differ between councils, so check with yours early.

When do I pay payroll tax in Victoria?

Employers with a wage bill over the monthly threshold pay payroll tax, registered with the State Revenue Office. Check the current threshold on the SRO website.

Setting up a business in Victoria

Written by Jack Harrington and Gabriel Pozo, the founders of Urban Media, Melbourne. Updated 14 October 2026.

Starting in Victoria means three layers of rules: federal registrations everyone does, state requirements that depend on what you sell, and council permits for premises and signage. This guide lays out the layers and where to check each.

General information, not legal or tax advice, checked against Business Victoria and business.gov.au on 14 October 2026. Some Victorian pages date from earlier years, so confirm current thresholds and processes on the official site.

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Step 1: plan and budget

Business Victoria's checklist starts with a business plan and an estimate of set-up costs. Start-up costs often include premises, equipment, licence and registration fees, and a logo and website.

Step 2: federal registrations

Choose a structure: sole trader, partnership, company or trust.
Get an ABN. It is free through the Australian Business Register.
Register a business name with ASIC if you trade under a name other than your own, after checking it does not infringe an existing trade mark.
Register for GST if your turnover is $75,000 or more, or choose to register earlier.
Register for PAYG withholding if you will pay employees.

Step 3: find your licences

Use the Australian Business Licence and Information Service (ABLIS) to find the federal, state and local licences, registrations and permits that apply to your business. Some licences come from your council, and others from a regulator, such as Liquor Control Victoria if you will sell alcohol to be drunk on the premises.

Step 4: premises, signage and permits

Business Victoria says you usually need a planning or building permit to set up a store or food premises, change the shop front, attach signage, do an internal fit-out or put outdoor seating on the footpath. Requirements differ between councils, so talk to your council's planning or building team early.

Step 5: if you hire

Employers with a wage bill above the monthly threshold pay payroll tax, registered through the State Revenue Office. You also need insurance, including WorkCover, so check the current employer obligations with the regulator.

Step 6: the brand and website

Do this after the name is safe. Check the ASIC register, IP Australia's TM Checker, the domain and the social handles, then build the brand, the website and the Google Business Profile on it.

Where Urban Launch fits

The registrations stay with you and your accountant. Once they are done, Urban Launch builds what goes on top, in order, by one Melbourne team: brand, website, content and systems.

Official sources

This guide was checked against these official pages on 14 October 2026. Rules change, so confirm on the source before you rely on a detail.

More guides for new businesses

All of them are on the guides page.

Who is behind this

Jack Harrington and Gabriel Pozo, the founders of Urban Media, on a shoot in Melbourne

Urban Launch is built and run by Urban Media (ABN 28 169 446 902), a Melbourne studio founded by Jack Harrington and Gabriel Pozo. Urban Media makes video, design and websites for clients including Box Hill United, Brighton Grammar and Porsche Club Victoria.

If you want to talk to the people doing the work, call 0456 785 904. More about who we are, and how to check us, is on the About page.

Jack Harrington, co-founder of Urban Media, speaking to camera — Jack Harrington, co-founder of Urban Media, on how Urban Launch works. Captions are on screen.

Common questions

What do I need to set up a business in Victoria?: Federal registrations (structure, ABN, business name if needed, GST if required), any licences and permits that apply to your industry, council approvals for premises and signage, and payroll tax and insurance if you hire.
How do I find which licences my Victorian business needs?: Use the Australian Business Licence and Information Service (ABLIS), which lists federal, state and local licences and permits for your business type.
Do I need a permit for business signage in Victoria?: Business Victoria says you usually need a planning or building permit to attach signage. Requirements differ between councils, so check with yours early.
When do I pay payroll tax in Victoria?: Employers with a wage bill over the monthly threshold pay payroll tax, registered with the State Revenue Office. Check the current threshold on the SRO website.

Start with a Launch Call

Live and generating enquiries within 45 days, or we keep working at no extra cost until you are. The Launch Call is where we check it is the right fit before we book anything in. For a real example, read the Airwize case study (12 conversions, meaning leads that became sales, in the first month of Google Ads from $70 of ad spend, our figures). You can also read how a launch package compares with hiring separately, or go to the packages and prices on the homepage.

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More: Brand and website package, Melbourne, Startup package for a new business, Melbourne, Branding, website and photography package, Melbourne.