Authorise a representative

Set up access for your authorised representative

As a foreign investor, you can authorise representatives to use Online services for foreign investors on your behalf.

Before you authorise a representative to have access, check that:

• they have their own myGovID
• you have their full legal name (this must match the name they used to set up their myGovID)
• you have an email address which can be accessed by them (to receive their authorisation code) – this can be a different email address to the one they used to setup their myGovID.

How you authorise a representative to have access depends on if you have an:

• Australian business number (ABN)
• ATO reference number (ARN).

I have an ABN

Use Relationship Authorisation Manager (RAMExternal Link) to authorise representatives.

This includes setting up authorisation administrators who can also delegate authorisation to others. To authorise someone as an authorisation administrator, they need to have a myGovID with at least a Standard identity strength.

Only a principal authority or authorisation administrator can authorise others.

Access to Online services for foreign investors for entities with an ABN (including sole traders) has details if you need to set up access.

Authorise a representative

To authorise a representative you'll need to set up an authorisationExternal Link in RAM.

When you set up the authorisation:

• make sure the representative has the required identity strength. For a representative to  
  • have access to Online services for foreign investors on behalf of your entity, they need a myGovID with at least a Basic identity strength. You'll select Basic user at Representative type.
  • become an authorisation administrator (who can authorise others), they need a myGovID with at least Standard identity strength. You'll select Standard user at Representative type.
   
• at Agency access, select Full access for Australian Taxation Office Foreign Investor Service.

I have an ARN

If you don’t have an ABN we'll give you an ARN. Once you've set up your Access to Online services for foreign investors, and completed the one-off registration, you can authorise representatives in Online services for foreign investors using the Manage access function. This includes setting up authorisation administrators who can also authorise others on your behalf.

When using the Manage access function, a new tab will open for Access manager for foreign investors.

Add a representative

A representative of a foreign person with an ARN only requires a myGovID with a Basic identity strengthExternal Link to log in to Online services for foreign investors and accept your authorisation.

To add a representative:

1. log inExternal Link to Online services for foreign investors
2. select the linked entity then Next
3. select the Manage access quick link
4. select Add – to add who can act for this entity  
   • type their legal name; this must match their name in myGovID
   • type their email address; this must be an email address they have access to, not a group email
    
5. add this representative as an authorisation administer?  
   • select Yes if you want to delegate who administers authorisations for others on your behalf
   • select No to maintain managing who has access
    
6. select Start date and the date
7. select Add end date (this step is optional, if access should end at a specified date). If you don't provide an end date, authorisation remains active indefinitely.
8. select the declaration then Submit.

A message Authorisation successfully added will display on screen and the added representative will be listed with a Pending status. The newly authorised representative will receive an email with an authorisation code to finalise the authorisation request.

You can now log out of the Access manager for foreign investors tab and return to the Online services for foreign investors tab in your browser.

Manage your authorisations

How you manage an authorisation depends on:

• if you are the principal authority or authorisation administrator for an entity with an ABN
• if you have been authorised to act for a foreign investor with an ARN.

Foreign investor with an ABN

Principal authorities or authorisation administrators will use RAM to manage authorisationsExternal Link.

Foreign investor with an ARN

In Online services for foreign investors, to view or remove people who have authority to act on your behalf:

• select the entity then Next
• select the Manage access quick link, a new tab will open in your web browser
• all representatives can be viewed and will be listed with their status, you cannot manage authorisations that have been declined, expired or removed
• select the representative you want to update and select Manage where their status is:  
  • Pending (waiting acceptance) to re-issue the authorisation code or remove the authorisation
  • Accepted (effective period has not started) to remove authorisation
  • Active to remove authorisation.
   

Authorised representatives – accept an authorisation

Before you can access Online services for foreign investors on behalf of a foreign investor or entity, you need to accept your authorisation. You also have the option to decline an authorisation request.

You will receive an email with an authorisation code. The email will have information on what you need to do to accept the authorisation. Accepting (or declining) your authorisation depends on whether the foreign investor has an ABN or ARN.

Foreign investor has an ABN

As a representative of a foreign investor with an ABN, you'll need a myGovID to log in to RAM to accept your authorisationExternal Link.

Once you accept the authorisation, the foreign investor will be listed in your linked entities. You can then select the entity then Next.

Foreign investor has an ARN

As a representative of a foreign person with an ARN, you only need a myGovID with a Basic identity strengthExternal Link to log in to Online services for foreign investors and accept your authorisation.

To accept or decline the authorisation:

1. log inExternal Link to Online services for foreign investors
2. select Add
3. select Another person or entity
4. Has this person or entity previously interacted with the ATO? – select Yes
5. Have you received an authorisation code to link the entity? – select Yes
6. select Next
7. type the authorisation code you received in the email (this code is case sensitive) and select Verify
8. select the declaration, then either  
   • Accept – you will receive an Authorisation successful; select Continue
   • Decline – you will need to confirm that you will not be able to act for this entity
    
9. the message Authorisation successful will be displayed on screen.

Authorised representatives - manage an authorisation

How you manage your authorisation depends on whether the foreign investor has an ABN or an ARN.

Foreign investor has an ABN

If your authorisation needs to be updated, contact a principal authority or an authorisation administrator.

You can remove your own authorisation in RAM. For example, if you no longer act on behalf of the entity. To remove your authorisation:

1. log in to RAMExternal Link
2. select View or manage authorisations, machine credentials and cloud software notifications from the home menu
3. select View next to the business name you would like to remove your authorisation for
4. select Remove
5. select Yes to confirm.

Foreign investor has an ARN

If your authorisation needs to be updated, contact the foreign investor or an authorisation administrator.

You can remove your own authorisation in Online services for foreign investors. All foreign investors you have been authorised to act on behalf of will be listed.

To view entities:

1. select the entity then Next
2. select the Manage access quick link, a new tab will open in your web browser
3. select My authorisations at the top right of the screen – all the authorisations you've been granted will be listed.

If you no longer act on behalf of an entity with an ARN and they haven't removed your authorisation, select Manage to remove the authorisation.

You can now log out of the Access manager for foreign investors tab and return to the Online services for foreign investors tab in your browser.

How to authorise a representative to access Online services for foreign investors on your behalf.