How to find your TFN if you have lost or forgotten it

How to find your TFN at home

Start with documents you already have:

• The original TFN letter posted to you by the ATO when your application was approved
• Payslips, payment summaries, or income statements from any Australian employer
• Past tax return documents (your TFN appears on every return)
• Any letters or notices from the ATO

If you saved emails, scanned documents, or kept paperwork from previous work in Australia, your TFN is almost certainly in one of those records.

How to retrieve a lost TFN

If you cannot find your TFN in any of your records, get in touch with our team. We are registered tax agents and can retrieve your TFN on your behalf through our direct channels with the ATO.

To help us, please have ready:

• Your full legal name (as on your passport)
• Your date of birth
• Your passport number (and the passport you held when you first applied, if different)
• Your residential address history in Australia
• Any other personal identification details

Retrieving a TFN as an individual involves long ATO phone wait times and an identity verification process that often requires Australian-specific documents most backpackers no longer have access to from overseas. Going through a registered tax agent is faster and more reliable.

How to keep your TFN safe in future

Once you have your TFN back, store it somewhere secure to avoid this happening again:

• Save it in a password manager
• Store a scanned copy in encrypted cloud storage
• Save it in a locked notes app on your phone
• Keep a paper copy in a secure location separate from your passport

Avoid emailing your TFN to yourself in plain text or storing it in unsecured documents. Your TFN is a sensitive piece of personal identification, and protecting it is important even after you leave Australia.