Losing track of your Tax File Number is more common than you might think, especially for working holiday makers who have been in Australia a while and moved around a lot. The good news is there are several ways to find it without too much trouble.
Check your original TFN letter
The ATO sent your TFN to you by post when your application was approved. If you kept that letter, it will have your TFN printed on it. Check any folders, emails, or documents from when you first arrived in Australia.
Log in to myGov
If you set up a myGov account and linked it to the ATO during your time in Australia, you can log back in and find your TFN in your ATO profile. Go to myGov, log in with your credentials, open the ATO service, and navigate to your personal details. Your TFN will be displayed there.
Check your payslips or payment summaries
Your TFN is often printed on payslips, payment summaries, and income statements from your Australian employers. If you have any of those documents saved, check them for your TFN.
Check your tax return documents
If you lodged a tax return during your time in Australia, your TFN will appear on the return itself and on any correspondence from the ATO related to that return. Check any saved PDFs or printed copies of past returns.
Contact the ATO
If none of the above options work, you can contact the ATO directly by phone and request your TFN. You will need to verify your identity, which typically means providing your full name, date of birth, address history, and passport number. The ATO will not provide your TFN to someone who cannot be verified as the account holder, so have those details ready.
Once you have your TFN again, store it somewhere secure. A password manager, a locked notes app, or a scanned copy stored in cloud storage are all good options that will save you the trouble of searching for it again in the future.
Need help?
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