New Director ID – Calling All Directors

If you are a director or plan to become a director in the future, regulation updates recently announced by the ATO affect you.
From November 1^st 2021 the Australian Business Registry Services (ARBS) is introducing the Director Identification Number (Director ID).
A Director ID is a 15 Digit unique identifier that will be issued to a director who has verified their identity with the ARBS. These new measures are being put in place to;

• help prevent the use of false and/or fraudulent director identities
• make it easier for external administrators and regulators to trace directors’ relationships with companies over time
• Identify and eliminate director involvement in unlawful activity

The Director ID is linked to the Director – not the company – so this means that you keep the same number forever even if you change companies, are a director of multiple companies, stop being a director, change your name or move to another state or county.

Who needs to apply?

You will need a Director ID if you are a director of:

• any Company or corporation
• a corporate trustee, for example, of a SMSF
• foreign company registered with ASIC and carrying on business in Australia (regardless of where you live)

You will not need a Director ID if you’re:

• a company secretary but not a director
• acting as an external administrator of a company
• running a business as a sole trader or partnership
• referred to as a ‘director’ in your job title but have not been appointed as a director under the Corporations Act
• a director of a registered charity with an organization type that is not registered with ASIC to operate throughout Australia
• an officer of an unincorporated association, cooperative or incorporated association established under state or territory legislation, unless the organization is also a registered Australian body

When do I need to apply?

If you became a Director on or before 31 October 2021 – You must apply by 30 November 2022

If you become a Director between 1 November 2021 and 4 April 2022 – You must apply within 28 days of appointment

If you become a Director from 5 April 2022 – You must apply before appointment

How do I apply?

Step 1: Setup MyGovID

How to Set up MyGovID

Step 2: Gather your documents

You will need the following information from the linked services in your MyGov account:

• Your TFN
• Your Residential address as held by the ATO
• Information from two documents to verify your identity. These can include;

• Bank account details
• ATO notice of assessment
• Super account details
• a dividend statement
• a Centrelink payment summary
• PAYG payment summary

Step 3: Complete your online application

Apply Now with MyGovID

Our recommendation when applying

Whenever a new procedure like this is implemented, we make sure we test it ourselves so that we can assist you through this process as much as possible.

When completing his Director ID application, Mark Lawry found this application system to be poorly designed and the information matching was flawed to the point where he was locked out of the system for an hour!

The big problem lay when matching the PAYG Income Statements and Superannuation Fund Details.

Therefore, Marks recommendation when choosing the type of data to match is to use the following:

• Notice Of Assessment: You will need the date of issue and ATO Reference Number which can both be accessed via MyGov.

• Bank account details for any bank account that earned interest in previous years. You will need the BSB and Account Number.

Using your Director ID

When your Director ID is issued, please print it and keep it in a safe place and also send it to us via email admin@suntax.com.au and we will add it to your permanent records.

Viewing or updating your details
Using myGovID, you can log into the ABRS Online to view and update your Director ID details whenever you need to.

You can:

• check your Director ID number and status – including when it was issued
• view things to do, actions in progress and past activity
• edit your profile preferences and some of your personal details

As this process must be completed through your MyGov account, this is unfortunately NOT a process that we can complete on your behalf, but if you do have any questions, Suntax is always here to help support you so please give us a call.

Kind regards,

Your Suntax Team

Frequently Asked Questions

What if I cannot apply online?

If you are unable to apply for your Director ID online, you can use one of the alternative options;

Apply by phone:
You will need your TFN and information needed to verify your identity (see step 2 under how to apply)
When you have the information, contact the ABRS
Contact ABRS

Or

Apply with a paper form
Director ID – paper application form
*Note that this is a slower process, and you will need to provide certified copies of your identity verification documents.

Will my Director ID be available to the public?

No.

ABRS can only disclose your Director ID to

• Someone you give permission to disclose to
• Certain Commonwealth, State and Territory government bodies
• Courts and tribunals

The law does not authorize ABRS to disclose director ID’s to the public without the director’s consent. For now, the director ID will not be searchable by the public. The Registrar will consult with the community about what details can be disclosed and searched I the future.