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jaycarroll_11(Newbie)Newbie
26 Apr 2024

I applied for a tfn on a website called taxfilenumberonline as it was the first thing that popped up on my browser when I searched tfn. I got charged $99 for the service which i just assumed was normal only to find out today it’s actually free to apply. I applied on the 6th of April and emailed them maybe 2 weeks later asking on an update for my application. It took them 6 days to reply to me through email which I find a bit dodgy. I’m flying in from Ireland on the 22nd of may to Australia and was looking to start work immediately but I’m assuming I can’t do so without a tfn. Has anyone else been in this situation?

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1,501 views
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RileyATO(Community Moderator)Community Moderator
29 Apr 2024

Hi @jaycarroll_11,


You're not alone, we've had a few posts about this before. It is legal to charge for this service. But if you think you've been scammed, you can find info on what to do at the end of our article Finding your TFN.


The good news is you can still work without a TFN. Your employer will ask you to fill out a tax file number declaration when you start working. On this form you can claim an exemption from providing your TFN since you've already applied for one. This gives you 28 days to provide your TFN to your employer before they start withholding a higher rate of tax.

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Most helpful reply

RileyATO(Community Moderator)Community Moderator
29 Apr 2024

Hi @jaycarroll_11,


You're not alone, we've had a few posts about this before. It is legal to charge for this service. But if you think you've been scammed, you can find info on what to do at the end of our article Finding your TFN.


The good news is you can still work without a TFN. Your employer will ask you to fill out a tax file number declaration when you start working. On this form you can claim an exemption from providing your TFN since you've already applied for one. This gives you 28 days to provide your TFN to your employer before they start withholding a higher rate of tax.

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