Obtaining a Tax File Number (TFN) override for family assistance customers experiencing an urgent or extreme circumstance 007-07010040

Customers claiming Family Tax Benefit (FTB) or Stillborn Baby Payment (SBP) assessed as meeting the guidelines of experiencing an extreme or urgent circumstance can have an override coded, pending receipt of their TFN. Note: this override does not apply to Child Care Subsidy (CCS).

This provision only applies where the customer has:

• immediate financial needs associated with the birth of a baby (under 6 months old) or a child coming into care (within the last 6 months), or
• unanticipated financial needs such as medical costs or costs associated with an emergency, or
• experienced hardship where their local community is affected by an emergency such as flood, bushfires or pandemic

Note: cases can only be referred to the Families and Childcare Level 2 Policy Helpdesk via the online referral form when these specific extreme or urgent circumstances criteria are met. The Helpdesk cannot provide approval over the phone. The online enquiry form must be lodged.

If the above extreme or urgent circumstances do not exist, customers can authorise Centrelink to request the TFN details by completing a TFN application form.

If the customer is applying for or receives FTB or CCS, and has a partner who is living outside Australia, the partner should:

• complete a NAT2628 Tax File Number Application form, and
• forward it to the ATO

To reduce instances of multiple TFNs being created, it is important to establish if the customer has an existing TFN, or if they have applied for one in the past. Customers attending a Service Centre who have a TFN that has not been updated on their record, and do not know their TFN, should be advised to contact the ATO. The ATO can provide a TFN over the phone to the customer who can then provide it in writing to Services Australia.

For Service Centre staff, where the customer is lodging a TFN application, ensure the:

• customer has selected ‘Yes’ to ‘authorise the ATO to provide Centrelink their TFN’ (Question 3), and
• customer’s CRN has been included

For staff assisting newly arrived refugee customers applying for a TFN using the ATO Online Individual Auto Registration (AIR) tool, ensure:

• the correct CRN is used
• ‘Yes’ is selected to authorise the ATO to send the TFN to Centrelink

Note: in all circumstances ensure the TFN application is uploaded to the customer's record.