Tax file number (TFN) declarations

The answers your employees provide on their Tax file number declaration determine the amount you need to withhold from their payments. A Tax file number declaration applies to any payments made after you receive the declaration. If you receive an updated declaration from an employee, it will override the previous one.

If an employee does not give you a valid Tax file number declaration within 14 days of starting an employer-employee relationship, you must complete a Tax file number declaration with all available details of the employee and send it to us.

When a TFN has not been provided

You must withhold 47% from any payment you make to a resident employee and 45% from a foreign resident employee (ignoring any cents), if all of the following apply:

• they have not quoted their TFN
• they have not claimed an exemption from quoting their TFN
• they have not advised you that they have applied for a TFN or have made an enquiry with us.

If an employee states at question 1 of the Tax file number declaration they have lodged a Tax file number – application or enquiry for individuals with us, they have 28 days to provide you with their TFN.

If the employee has not given you their TFN within 28 days, you must withhold 47% from any payment you make to a resident employee and 45% from a foreign resident employee (ignoring any cents) unless we tell you not to.

Do not allow for any tax offsets or Medicare levy adjustments. Do not withhold any amount for study and training support loans.

When your employee has a study and training support loan debt

If your employee has a HELP, VSL, FS, SSL or TSL debt, you may need to withhold additional amounts from their payments. Your employee will notify you on their Tax file number declaration or Withholding declaration.

Next step:

To calculate additional withholding amounts for:

• HELP, VSL, FS, SSL or TSL debts, refer to Study and training support loans fortnightly tax table.

Allowances

Generally, allowances are added to normal earnings and the amount to withhold is calculated on the total amount of earnings and allowances.

For more information on when to withhold and report on allowances, refer to Withholding for allowances.

Holiday pay, long service and employment termination payments

Employees who continue working for you

You must include holiday pay (including any leave loading) and long service leave payments as part of normal earnings, except when they are paid on termination of employment.

For more information, refer to Withholding from leave payments for continuing employees.

Employees who stop working for you

This tax table does not cover any lump sum payments made to an employee who stops working for you.

If an employee has unused annual leave, leave loading or long service leave, refer to Tax table for unused leave payments on termination of employment.

Any other lump sum payments may be employment termination payments, refer to Tax table for employment termination payments.

Do not withhold any amount for study and training support loans debts from lump sum termination payments.

Leave loading

If you pay leave loading as a lump sum, you now need to use Tax table for back payments, commissions, bonuses and similar payments to calculate withholding.

If you pay leave loading on a pro-rata basis, then add the leave loading payment to earnings for the period to calculate withholding.