Requesting a Tax File Number (TFN) 106-07060020

Do not give tax file numbers (TFNs) to customers or other parties. Tell them to contact the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) Individual enquiries line.

ATO proof of identity documents

Full list of ATO:

Primary documents (Category A)
Secondary documents (Category B)
Linking documents
Document codes

$\\INTERNAL.DEPT.LOCAL\Shared\NAT\SERDELEXCEL\WORKPRODIMP\Operation Blueprint Migration\RDT Release Icons\32w\icon-attachment.png$ List of ATO identity codes and acceptable document types

Complete the 'Office Use Only' block

For help, contact Customer Details Helpdesk.

Sample of a completed identity block

Table 1

Document code	Document number	Place of issue	Date of issue or expiry
ABC	456257	NSW	1978
AAP
ACC
AFP
BMC	321455988	Aus	01/2012
BFI		Place of issue: ANZ - Melbourne	2010

Office use only - additional information

Table 2

Item	Description
1	Applicant identity box Complete if the applicant is a customer of Services Australia Add the Secondary B codes below the Primary A coded documents Do not write 'identity documents sighted'
2	Link Documents block Link documents show the link between: the applicant, and the person signing the application Record link documents when: a parent/guardian or legally appointed custodian signs on behalf of the applicant change of name Valid link documents and codes are: Australian Birth Certificate - LABC Medicare Card - LBMC Letter of Authority - LLOA Proof of Parentage/Guardianship Documents - LLPG Power of Attorney - LPOA Doctors letter - LDRL Foreign Birth Certificate - LOBC Change of Name Document - LCON Change of Name by Deed Poll - LCDP Marriage Certificate - LMGS
3	Representative or Nominee's identity block Representatives who sign behalf of the customers must provide: identity documents tax file number link document Record the nominee's identity documents in full in the relevant boxes: document code document number place of issue date of issue or expiry Representative identity may not be the same as the customer. Example: a parent signing on behalf of a child must meet the rules for a person 16 years and over. That is one primary and two secondary documents. The child under sixteen provides one primary and one secondary document.
4	Application certification by Service Officer Sign and print name in block letters, including phone number Enter the CRN Stamp 'Office stamp' box Add within the 'notes' box For a foreign passport, enter the visa number and sub class
5	Process if the document number is incorrectly or not recorded The ATO systems will not process an application without a document number. The ATO does registration checks to verify the validity of the identity provided. A correct document number is essential for these checks.
6	Service Officer signing as both referee and Service Officer on the NAT 1589 A Service Officer cannot sign as both referee and Service Officer on a NAT 1589. Another Service Officer must accept and certify the form.

TFN exemption codes

Table 3: This table provides a list of exemptions that a customer may qualify for in limited circumstances. These exemptions should be temporary, and a review coded to request a TFN.

Code	Description - Reason for exemption	Review required	Extend review	Service Reason(s) that can use this exemption code
CAT	TFN request from ATO Where the customer has lodged a 'Request for TFN Details' application and has given the ATO permission to release their TFN to Centrelink.	Yes 90 days	Yes 90 days at a time, up to one year from initial exemption date	ALL
CER	Attending traditional ceremony For Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islanders who are attending a traditional ceremony at the time of lodgement.	Yes 90 days	No	ABA/ABT/ABY/EIA
DIS	Resides in a declared natural disaster zone Customers affected by a natural disaster declared by the Minister. Exemption is for the temporary period of payment granted due to the disaster. Note: for Disaster Recovery Allowance (DRA) only: do not apply the DIS exemption code without approval from the Emergency Management Level 2 Helpdesk. See Assessing DRA and NZ DRA claims for more information.	Yes 90 days	Yes 90 days at a time, up to one year from initial exemption date	ABA/ABY/AGE/AUS/CAR/DSP/EIA/JSP/NMA/PAR/ PPP/PPS/PTA/PTR/SHC/SPL/YAL DRA
HOP	Homeless Person The use of this code should be rare. A customer should be able to provide enough POI to use the 'ATO TFN Application/Enquiry form' Note: apply HOP exemption where a UTLAH assessment is completed and SWO is assisting the customer to obtain POI.	Yes 90 days	Yes 90 days at a time, up to one year from initial exemption date	ABA/ABY/AGE/AUS/DSP/JSP/NMA/PAR/SPL/YAL
ISC	Income Support Customer	No		EIA
OVS	Person Overseas Granted for customers and/or partners who are out of the country at the time of claiming.	Yes 90 days	Yes 90 days at a time, up to one year from initial exemption date	AGE/DSP/EIA/PAR/PPS/PTR
PDP	Profoundly Disabled Person Where the customer's condition is a major barrier to the provision of TFN details and no other person managing the customer's affairs can provide the customer's TFN.	No		AGE/DSP/PAR/PPP/PTR/SHC/SPL
PNH	Person in Nursing Home Customers living in a nursing home where there is no one managing the customer's affairs who could provide the TFN.	No		AGE/DSP/PAR/SHC/SPL
PPI	Person in Psychiatric Institution Customers residing in psychiatric institutions who are unable to provide TFN details due to their condition and do not have a person managing their affairs who is able to provide the TFN.	No		AGE/DSP/PAR/PTA/PTR/SHC/SPL
PPU	Fire/flood damage to home Students, parents, or partners who have lost all records of their TFN due to fire or flood damage to their home.	Yes 90 days	Yes 90 days at a time, up to one year from initial exemption date	ABA/ABT/ABY/EIA
PUC	Partner Uncontactable At the time of claiming the customer cannot get the partner's TFN, as the partner is uncontactable, e.g. working in a remote area.	Yes 90 days	Yes 90 days at a time, up to one year from initial exemption date	ABA/ABY/AGE/AUS/CAR/DSP/JSP/NMA/PAR/PPP/ SPL/YAL
PVI	Partner Violent Where a customer feels that their partner may become violent if they were to ask them for TFN details.	Yes 90 days	Yes 90 days at a time, up to one year from initial exemption date	ABA/ABY/AGE/AUS/CAR/DSP/EIA/JSP/NMA/PAR/ PPP/SPL/YAL
REM	Remote Area Granted for customers who may be unable to provide their TFN details within 28 days due to the remoteness of their location.	Yes 90 days	Yes 90 days at a time, up to one year from initial exemption date	ABA/ABY/AGE/AUS/CAR/DSP/JSP/NMA/PAR/PPP/ PPS/PTA/PTR/SPL/WDA/WFA/WFD/WID/YAL
SEC	Secretaries Exemption Note: only staff from the Customer Details Helpdesk can apply this exemption.	No Dependent on reason approval was given, a manual review may be required.		ABA/ABT/ABY/AGE/AUS/CAR/DSP/JSP/NMA/PAR/ PPP/PPS/PTA/PTR/SHC/SPL/YAL
U16	ABSTUDY or Special benefit, under 16 years old For student aged under 16 years and parents/guardians of students aged under 16 years. Granted for Special benefit customers under 16 years.	No A manual review is to be created one month prior to the customer’s 16th birthday to advise them to apply for a TFN.		ABT/ABY/PAR/SPL

Note: staff can no longer use the historic TFN exemption reason codes below, but they may occur on a customer's record:

Code Description

AGE Age 80+

NIN Person has no Income

CDA Carer Allowance

EOY Families End of Year

FRM Formal Request Manually RQ

Australia Post receipt

$\\INTERNAL.DEPT.LOCAL\Shared\NAT\SERDELEXCEL\WORKPRODIMP\Operation Blueprint Migration\RDT Release Icons\32w\icon-attachment.png$ Example of Australia Post receipt

Forms (staff)

ATO Forms and instructions

Contact details

Australian Taxation Office (ATO)

Australian Taxation Office (ATO) - tax file numbers

External websites

Australian Taxation Office, Individual tax file number (TFN) - How to apply for a TFN; Lost or stolen TFN

Individual Auto-Registration help - TFN application for temporary visitors and permanent migrants

Australia Post office locator - find outlet to attend interview for TFN applications

Operational Information