# Tax File Number query



## its_a_mini_adventure (Nov 10, 2009)

try as i might i have scoured the ATO's website but to no avail.

I was on a working holiday in 2002 in Australia (although i never actually got to the work part). And was issued a TFN. Since then i have obviously lost it through the years and assumed they would issue a different one when i return as a resident.

But the website is not clear and trying to contact them seems difficult. Many comments on 'visit our shop counters'. And then the only shop counter listed i can find is Canberra. Not much good when i'm headed to Melbourne.

So my questions if anyone can help.

1. will i get a new TFN or retain the old one.
2. if i'm keeping the old one is calling them the only thing i can do to retrieve the lost number?

Thank you!


----------



## Wanderer (Jun 16, 2007)

Normally, I suspect once they have one for you it'll be permanent though if they did a spring clean of sorts and saw that they had some that hadn't been used for 5-7 years, periods of time for which personal or othr taxation records shold be kept, then they may have binned them.

But it's nothing to be concerned on until you get here and then just ring their freecall number.
You'll either be able to find out what the number was with provision of some ID or you'll be able to get a new one and probably can happen either way within a week.


----------

