We're authorised by the Taxation Administration Act 1953 to request your tax file number (TFN). We will use your TFN to identify you in our records. It isn't an offence not to provide your TFN. However, if you don't provide your TFN, your assessment may be delayed.
We are also authorised to ask for the other information on the Tax return for individuals (NAT 2541), Tax return for individuals for tax agents (NAT 1371), Tax return for individuals – supplement (NAT 2679) and the schedules you need to lodge with your tax return by the:
- Income Tax Assessment Act 1936
- Income Tax Assessment Act 1997
- A New Tax System (Family Assistance) (Administration) Act 1999
- Superannuation (Government Co-contributions for Low Income Earners) Act 2003
- Superannuation (Unclaimed Money and Lost Members) Act 1999.
We need this information to help us to administer taxation laws. If we don't collect this information, there could be a delay or error in your assessment.
Where authorised by law, we may give this information to other government departments and agencies, including:
- Department of Education
- Department of Employment
- Services Australia
- Department of Social Services
- Department of Veterans' Affairs
- State and Federal Police
- Australian Bureau of Statistics
- Reserve Bank of Australia.
We also provide taxpayer information to treaty partners overseas under international tax agreements.
If you have an Australian business number, some information on this form may be collected under the A New Tax System (Australian Business Number Act) 1999 and will be used to update your details on the Australian Business Register (ABR)External Link. Where authorised by law, selected information may be made publicly available and some we may pass on to a range of government agencies, including Commonwealth, state and local government agencies.
Our privacy policy contains important information about your privacy, including information about how:
- you can access and seek correction of information we hold about you
- to make a complaint if you think we have breached the Australian Privacy PrinciplesExternal Link
- we will deal with any privacy complaints.
If you have a privacy concern or need more information, phone or write to our privacy hotline.
To report an instance where you suspect your privacy has been compromised, see Data breach guidance for individuals.
For more about accessing the Individuals tax return and schedules, see: