I'm in a process of the sales of my property. Lawyer wrote and email to me as there is an outstanding overdue lodge tax return. i (foreigner) was requested to apply for a TFN and file my property tax Income.
Every year, there is a negative nett Income for the property that i own. Now I'm also making a huge loss in the property sales. Do i still need to apply for TFN and file my property tax Income?
"I'm in a process of the sales of my property."
Are you a foreign resident? If so:
Is the reason for applying for a TFN to do with the FRCGW rate variation application?
Foreign resident capital gains withholding rate variation application | Australian Taxation Office
A TFN is not required to complete the application however if you can't get the withholding variation reduced to zero you will need to lodge a tax return for the tax year when the property is sold. (and you will need a TFN for that)
If the sale is a capital gain then rental income losses can be used to reduce your income (or capital gain) from the sale. These rental losses need to be reported on earlier years and the current year tax return to be able to use them.
In answer to your question on whether you need to lodge a tax return. Answer is yes. And also tax returns for previous years.
If you have made a loss then you must report this. Check for yourself using the tool below
Do I need to lodge a tax return? | Australian Taxation Office
15 Apr 2026 · 4 min read time
15 Apr 2026 · 8 min read time
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