We are authorised by the Taxation Administration Act 1953 to request tax file numbers (TFNs). We will use your TFN to identify you in our records. It is not an offence not to provide your TFN but if you don't there may be a delay processing applications or enquiries.
We are also authorised by the Income Tax Assessment Act 1936 and the Taxation Administration Act 1953 to collect the information requested on the TFN application or enquiry for individuals living outside Australia. We need it to provide you with a TFN. If you don't provide the information, we may not be able to process your application.
Where authorised by law, we may give this information to other government departments and agencies, including:
- Department of Education
- Department of Employment
- Department of Social Services
- Australian Bureau of Statistics
- Law Enforcement Agencies
- Services Australia
We may check the proof of identity information you supply with the agencies that issued them.
We also provide taxpayer information to treaty partners overseas under international tax agreements.
Our privacy policy contains important information about your privacy, including information about how you can access and seek correction of information we hold about you, how to make a complaint if you think we have breached the Australian Privacy Principles and how we will deal with any privacy complaints.
For more information about privacy or if you believe your privacy has been compromised:
- phone our Privacy Hotline on 1300 661 542
- write to us at the address below
Australian Taxation Office
GPO Box 9990
[insert the name and postcode of your capital city]
For example
Australian Taxation Office
GPO Box 9990
SYDNEY NSW 2001
See also