Guide · paying the ATO

How to find your ATO payment reference number

A payment reference number, sometimes called an EFT code, is the number that tells the ATO which of your accounts a payment belongs to. You have a different one for each type of tax. Find it on any ATO notice or payment slip for that account, in Online services for business under accounts and payments, in myGov under Tax, then Accounts, then Summary, or from your tax agent. Failing those, phone 1800 815 886, 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday.

What it is

A payment reference number is the number that tells the ATO which of your accounts a payment belongs to. It is sometimes called an EFT code — short for electronic funds transfer code — and the two names mean the same number. It does not identify you and it does not identify your business: it identifies an account, which is the whole reason you have more than one.

It is not confidential in the way a tax file number is, but it is specific. The reference is what decides where the money lands, and nothing else on the payment does — not your name, not your ABN, not the amount.

Where it is

1
Any ATO notice or statement for the account you are paying.The payment slip section carries it. Use the most recent one rather than an old letter.
2
Online services for business, under accounts and payments.You log in with myID and need to be authorised for the entity. Each account's PRN is shown with its balance.
3
myGov, if you are an individual or sole trader.In the myGov account linked to the ATO, under Tax, then Accounts, then Summary.
4
Your registered tax or BAS agent.They can see it in Online services for agents and it takes them a moment.
5
Phone 1800 815 886, 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday.The ATO's line for payment reference enquiries. Have your ABN or TFN and your identity details ready.

Why there is more than one

The PRN identifies an account, not a taxpayer. You have a different one for income tax and for activity statements, and other accounts have their own. That is the source of nearly every problem with them: a business pays its BAS debt using the income tax reference saved in its banking, the money lands in the wrong account, the BAS balance stays overdue, and a letter arrives about a debt that has been paid.

Using the wrong PRN can delay the payment being credited and can trigger unnecessary debt collection activity. It is fixable by phoning the ATO and asking for the payment to be reallocated, and it is much easier avoided — take the number from the current notice each time rather than trusting a saved payee.

Three numbers that get confused

Number	Identifies	Public?
PRN (or EFT code)	An account, for payment purposes	No, but it is not secret in the way a TFN is
TFN	You or your entity as a taxpayer	No — confidential and protected by law
ABN	Your business, for tax, GST and invoicing	Yes — searchable on ABN Lookup

Our guides on finding a company TFN and finding an ABN or ACN cover the other two.

Having somebody else pay it for you

The PRN is what makes a direct payment possible. Where a loan is used to clear a tax debt, the funds are remitted straight to the ATO against your payment reference number at settlement, so the balance is cleared on the day rather than passing through your account. You receive the receipt, and the credit lands against the right account. Tell whoever is paying which account it is for, because the reference decides that and nothing else does.

If the number was not the whole problem

People look up a PRN because they are about to pay the ATO — and a good number of them are paying under pressure, against a deadline, or with money they have had to find from somewhere.

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Questions people ask alongside this one

What is a payment reference number?

A unique number that tells the ATO which of your accounts a payment belongs to. It is sometimes called an EFT code. Without the right one, a payment can be credited to the wrong account or sit unallocated, which is how businesses end up receiving debt collection letters for amounts they have already paid.

Do I have more than one PRN?

Yes. You have different payment reference numbers for different types of tax — one for income tax and a different one for activity statements, for example. Using the activity statement PRN to pay an income tax debt sends the money to the wrong place.

Where do I find it?

On any ATO notice or statement for that account; in Online services for business under accounts and payments; in myGov if you are an individual or sole trader; from your registered tax or BAS agent, who can see it in Online services for agents. If none of those is available, phone the ATO on 1800 815 886, 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday.

What happens if I use the wrong PRN?

The payment can be delayed in being credited to the correct account and can trigger unnecessary debt collection activity — letters, and sometimes firmer action, on a debt you have actually paid. It is fixable by calling the ATO and asking for the payment to be reallocated, but it costs time and worry that checking the number avoids.

Can someone else pay the ATO on my behalf using it?

Yes, and that is routinely how loans that clear tax debts work. A lender remits the funds directly against your payment reference number, so the balance is cleared at settlement rather than passing through your account first. You get the receipt; the ATO gets the money against the right account.

Is the PRN the same as my TFN or ABN?

No. The TFN identifies you as a taxpayer and is confidential. The ABN identifies your business publicly. The PRN identifies an account for payment purposes. They are three different numbers doing three different jobs.

Does the PRN change?

It is generally stable for a given account, but do not assume — take it from the most recent notice or from online services rather than from an old email or a saved payee in your banking. A saved payee with a superseded reference is a common source of misdirected payments.

What if I am paying a director penalty or a specific assessment?

Use the reference on that specific notice rather than a general one, and if there is any doubt, phone and confirm before sending money. Where a deadline is attached — a Director Penalty Notice runs 21 days — a misallocated payment is the last problem you want.

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Reviewed by Catriona Anderson, General Manager