Authorise a representative

Set up access for your authorised representative

As a foreign person, you can authorise representatives to use Online services for foreign investorsExternal Link on your behalf. An authorised contact will not have Online services for foreign investors access, but an authorised representative can access the service once authorised.

Authorised representatives, or authorised contacts, are those people you authorise us to discuss all aspects of your foreign investment obligations administered by us.

Before you authorise a representative to have access, check that:

• they have their own myIDExternal Link
• they have an Online services for foreign investors account that is registered
• you have their full legal name (this must match the name they used to set up their myID)
• you have an email address which can be accessed by them (to receive their authorisation code) – this can be a different email address to the one they used to set up their myID
• they have the correct myID identity strength. Your authorised representative is required to have Basic identity strengthExternal Link.

How you authorise a representative to have access and how you manage your authorisations depends on whether you have an:

• ATO reference number (ARN)
• Australian business number (ABN).

How authorised representatives respond to authorisation requests and manage an authorisation also depends on whether the foreign person has an ARN or ABN.

Foreign person with an ARN

If you do not have an ABN we'll give you an ATO reference number (ARN).

Once you have set up your Access to Online services for foreign investors, and completed the one-off registration, you can authorise representatives in Online services for foreign investors using the Manage access function. This includes setting up authorisation administrators who can also authorise others on your behalf.

When using the Manage access function, a new tab will open for Access manager for foreign investors.

How to add a representative if you have an ARN

You should follow the steps to add a representative:

1. log inExternal Link to Online services for foreign investors
2. select the Linked entity then Next
3. select the Manage access quick link
4. select Add – to add who can act for this entity

5. Add this representative as an authorisation administrator?  

6. select Start date and add the date you wish the access to start, for example, include today's date
7. select Add end date (this step is optional – to be completed if access should end at a specified date). If you do not provide an end date, authorisation remains active indefinitely
8. select the declaration then Submit.

A message Authorisation successfully added will display on screen and the added representative will be listed with a Pending status. The newly authorised representative will receive an email with an authorisation code. They will need this code to finalise the authorisation request.

For more information, see accepting an authorisation. Note: An authorisation request can be declined.

You can now log out of the Access manager for foreign investors tab and return to the Online services for foreign investors tab in your browser.

How to manage your authorisations if you have an ARN

In Online services for foreign investorsExternal Link, to view or remove people who have authority to act on your behalf:

9. select the entity then Next
10. select the Manage access quick link, a new tab will open in your web browser.
    All representatives can be viewed and will be listed with their status. You cannot manage authorisations that have been declined, expired or removed
11. select the representative you want to update and select Manage where their status is:
    • Pending (waiting acceptance), to re-issue the authorisation code or remove the authorisation
    • Accepted (effective period has not started), to remove authorisation
    • Active, to remove authorisation.

Authorised representatives of a foreign person with an ARN

Before you can access Online services for foreign investorsExternal Link on behalf of a foreign person or entity, you need to accept your authorisation. You also have the option to decline an authorisation request.

You will receive an email with an authorisation code. The email will have information on what you need to do to accept the authorisation.

As a representative of a foreign person with an ARN, you only need a myID with Basic identity strengthExternal Link to log in to Online services for foreign investors and accept your authorisation.

How authorised representatives accept an authorisation

To accept or decline the authorisation:

12. log inExternal Link to Online services for foreign investors
13. select Add
14. select Another person or entity
15. Has this person or entity previously interacted with the ATO? – select Yes
16. Have you received an authorisation code to link the entity? – select Yes
17. select Next
18. type the authorisation code you received in the email (this code is case sensitive) and select Verify
19. select the declaration, then either

The message Authorisation successful will be displayed on screen.

How authorisations are managed with an ARN

If your authorisation needs to be updated, contact the foreign person or an authorisation administrator.

You can remove your own authorisation in Online services for foreign investorsExternal Link. Each foreign person you have been authorised to act on behalf of will be listed.

To view entities:

20. select the entity then Next
21. select the Manage access quick link, a new tab will open in your web browser
22. select My authorisations at the top right of the screen – all the authorisations you have been granted will be listed
23. if you no longer act on behalf of an entity with an ARN and they have not removed your authorisation, select Manage to remove the authorisation
24. you can now log out of the Access manager for foreign investors tab and return to the Online services for foreign investors tab in your browser.

Foreign person with an ABN

How you authorise a representative, respond to an authorisation request or manage your authorisation, depends on whether the foreign person has an ARN or ABN.

Access Online services for foreign investors with an ABN (including sole traders) has instructions if you need to set up access.

Authorise a representative if you have an ABN

To authorise a representative you will need to set up an authorisationExternal Link in Relationship Authorisation Manager (RAMExternal Link).

When you set up the authorisation:

• make sure the representative has the required identity strength. For a representative to:
  • have access to Online services for foreign investors on behalf of your entity, they need a myID with at least Basic identity strengthExternal Link. You will select Basic user at Representative type.
  • become an authorisation administrator (who can authorise others), they need a myID with at least Standard identity strengthExternal Link. You will select Standard user at Representative type.
• at Agency access, select Full access for Australian Taxation Office Foreign Investor Service.

Only a principal authorityExternal Link or authorisation administrator can use RAM to manage authorisationsExternal Link. They can set up authorisation administrators in RAM who can also delegate authorisation to others.

How authorised representatives accept an authorisation

Before you can access Online services for foreign investors on behalf of a foreign person or entity, you need to accept your authorisation. You also have the option to decline an authorisation request.

You will receive an email with an authorisation code. The email will have information on what you need to do to accept the authorisation.

As a representative of a foreign person with an ABN, you will need a myID with at least Basic identity strengthExternal Link to log in to RAM to accept or decline your authorisationExternal Link.

To accept the authorisation:

25. log in to RAM
26. select Accept an authorisation for a business
27. enter your authorisation code (from the email)
28. select the checkboxes to declare you understand and accept and provide your express consent, then select Accept.

If you accept the authorisation, the foreign person will be listed in your linked entities. You can then select the entity then Next.

How authorisations are managed with an ABN

If your authorisation needs to be updated, contact a principal authorityExternal Link or an authorisation administrator.

You can remove your own authorisation in RAM. For example, if you no longer act on behalf of the entity. To remove your authorisation:

1. log in to RAMExternal Link

2. select View or manage authorisations, machine credentials and cloud software notifications from the home menu

3. select View next to the business name you would like to remove your authorisation for

4. select Remove

5. select Yes to confirm.