dave0706

Hi all,

I had a TFN about 6 years ago when I was on a working holiday visa. Fearing that the australians would never let me back in, I didn't bother to keep a note of the number. Doh!

Now my dream has come true and someone has offered me a job and a 2 year visa, I'm wondering if I can recover this number?? According to the Oz gov website you are only ever issued with one TFN...Has anyone else faced this problem?

Your advice would be appreciated.

Thanks

Dave

Jockstar

Its easy. I went to see them. It took about 5 or 10 minutes. I came here on a WH 8 years ago. I came back and went in and told them where i lived before and showed them my passport to convince them who i was. They gave a me a copy straight away. My wife applied as totally new and had it in a few weeks. Dont stress.
BTW you can do it online also.

iPom

Yes you have to declare you already have one when you do it online and that you need the copy. I got confused on there and somehow ended up applying for a new one, even though I thought I was applying for a lost one. They sent me a new one and a few days later I got a very threatening letter telling me it was illegal to have two tf numbers and to call them immediately. So when you apply, be careful which options you choose! I'd say face to face would be the better option.

Exile

I got mine over the phone in 2 minutes. I hadn't used it for more than 14 years.

They asked for the address I was using when I first applied for it, so you need to have a good memory. They also wanted me to pay tax for all the years when I was out of the country!

sambo76

Hi there!
This was something I've been meaning to ask for some time, so thanks also for the advice- I'm not sure if I will be able to track down which address I used either, though.... It was probably a hostel or something! I think I'll get onto this 1 today... keep u posted on the online method

iPom

They asked me what my address was in the UK when I applied. It was my parents place. They took that as proof of my ID.

sambo76

Wow! The tax man actuallly doing something that is sensible & helpful, what a great country!!! Keep u posted...

sambo76

I've just found this link which is supposed to be the from needed to register for TFN for visitors/migrants and apparently there is space to indicate that you have had 1 in the past... I've not run thru it yet but I reckon this is what we need... best of luck

sambo76

SORRY! HERE'S THE LINK!:
https://iar.ato.gov.au/iarweb/defaul...id=1&outcome=1

sambo76

Right, have read on & it seems you have to actually be in Oz b4 you can apply for your old TFN. This seems ok for us, but if you've got work lined up it would obviously be better to get it sorted 1st.... sorry

sprite_green

Being a bit anally retentive, I have my old TFN (from 12 years ago), and even have the letter that it was issued on.

My query is...

I am pretty sure my tax affairs were in order when I left Aus (WHV - I think I still have the yellow form with their final assessment too ), but is there any danger of them chasing me for any liability if this wasn't the case.

Reading iPom's posts, it may be that I have no choice and simply need to use the old TFN and be done with it, but would be nice to have some reassurance from anonymous posters on a website (with no real responsibility for their responses) that I am in the clear

brad

Hi
From what I have seen reading this thread does this mean that my wife who has worked in australia for for two years in 1965/66 will still have old TFN number which she must use when returning to australia

iPom

Yes.

A Tax File number isn't just for Christmas. It's for life.

louie

Does anyone know how/if we can find out our old TFNs (from the late 80's) from outside Australia?

We have been asked for them in relation to interest on the deposit for our unit. If we can't obtain them, do we just have tax of 10% deducted at source? Presumably if we do provide them, there's no tax at source?

Thanks for your help in advance!

brad

Hi
I have recently phoned the tax office about my wife working in the late 1950s and they told that their records dont go back that far and TFNs did not start untill the 1970s

Brad