To find your TFN, the quickest place to look is your myGov account linked to the ATO, or the ATO app on your phone. If you’d rather not go online, your Tax File Number is printed on documents you likely already have: a notice of assessment, a superannuation statement, a payment summary, or any letter from the ATO. Failing all of that, a phone call to the ATO will get you the number once you’ve verified your identity.1Australian Taxation Office. Lost or Stolen TFN
Your TFN is a unique nine-digit number the Australian Taxation Office assigns to you for tax and superannuation purposes.2Australian Taxation Office. What is a Tax File Number You only ever get one, so if you’ve had a TFN before, you don’t need a new one.
Check Documents You Already Have
Before logging in anywhere, look through your paperwork. Your TFN appears on:
- Your income tax notice of assessment, printed near the top of the page.3ATO Community. Finding Your TFN
- Annual statements and correspondence from your super fund.4Study Assist, Australian Government. Your Tax File Number (TFN)
- Letters and statements of account from the ATO.1Australian Taxation Office. Lost or Stolen TFN
- End-of-year payment summaries or income statements from your employer. Regular payslips during the year usually don’t show it.1Australian Taxation Office. Lost or Stolen TFN
Dividend or distribution statements from companies you hold shares in may also show your TFN status. If you never quoted your TFN to the company, that statement will show tax withheld at the no-TFN rate.5Australian Taxation Office. Dividend or Distribution Statement
Look It Up in myGov
Sign in at my.gov.au. If your account is already linked to the ATO, go into ATO online services and open the personal details section. Your TFN is displayed there.3ATO Community. Finding Your TFN
If you haven’t linked the ATO yet, you’ll need to do that first. Sign in, follow the prompts to link to the Australian Taxation Office, enter or confirm your personal details, and answer two questions drawn from your tax record.6Australian Taxation Office. Create a myGov Account and Link It to the ATO Those questions pull from details like a bank account that received a tax refund or earned interest in the last two years, a super statement from the last five years, a notice of assessment from the last five years, or a PAYG payment summary from the last two years.7Australian Taxation Office. Information You Need to Link myGov to the ATO Having one of those documents in front of you will make the linking step much smoother.
Use the ATO App
Download the ATO app and log in with your myGov credentials. Your TFN sits in your profile, ready to view.1Australian Taxation Office. Lost or Stolen TFN Useful when a bank teller or a new employer is waiting for the number and you don’t want to dig through a filing cabinet.
Call the ATO or Ask Your Tax Agent
If you’ve never set up myGov and can’t find any paperwork, phone the ATO individual enquiries line on 13 28 61, open 8:00 am to 6:00 pm Monday to Friday. Have your full name, date of birth, address, and details from previous tax returns or financial accounts ready for identity verification. A self-help phone service on 13 28 65 can also help you request your existing TFN.8Australian Taxation Office. Contact Us
If you use a registered tax agent, they’ll have your TFN on file and can pass it to you directly.1Australian Taxation Office. Lost or Stolen TFN
If You’ve Never Had a TFN
You may not have one to find. If you’ve never been issued a TFN, you can apply free of charge through the ATO.9Australian Taxation Office. Apply for a TFN The usual route is an online application followed by an identity interview at a participating Australia Post outlet, using original documents. If you’re not sure whether you already have a TFN or you’re certain you have one but can’t locate it anywhere, the paper form NAT 1432 covers both situations.10Australian Taxation Office. TFN Application or Enquiry for Individuals – Instructions
If You Think Your TFN Has Been Stolen or Misused
If you’re looking for your TFN because you suspect someone else has it, don’t call the general line. Contact the ATO’s Client Identity Support Centre on 1800 467 033, open 8:00 am to 6:00 pm AEST, Monday to Friday.11Australian Taxation Office. Help for Identity Theft They can place security flags on your account and advise on next steps. The same team handles data breach situations.12Australian Taxation Office. Data Breach Guidance for Individuals After reporting, keep watching your myGov account, bank statements, and credit reports for anything you don’t recognise.