As part of the Modernising Business Registers program, directors of a company, a registered Australian body, a registered foreign company or an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporation will need to apply for a Director Identification Number (Director ID). This has been designed to help combat illegal activity by making it easier to trace directors’ relationships with companies.
This requirement does not apply to directors (or board members/committee members) of an incorporated association (unless it is also a registered Australian body); to a company secretary who is not a director; an external administrator of a company; sole traders or partners in a partnership.
Directors who were appointed prior to 31 October 2021 have until 30 November 2022 to apply for their Director ID.
Directors who are appointed between 1 November 2021 and 4 April 2022 must apply within 28 days of being appointed.
Directors who are appointed from 5 April 2022 must apply before they are appointed.
A person only needs to apply once and hold one Director ID, regardless of the number of directorships they hold.
Directors must apply for their director ID themselves because they will need to verify their identity. No one can apply on their behalf.
To apply, the director will need to have access to myGovID (this is different to myGov).
The director will need to have necessary identity information at hand:
- tax file number
- residential address (same address as on file with the ATO)
- two other pieces of information that the ATO will have on file: bank account details, ATO assessment notice, superannuation account details, a dividend statement, a Centrelink payment summary, a PAYG payment summary
Then the director can apply for the Director ID through myGovID – the application is set out clearly step by step in myGovID, and should only take five minutes to complete.
It is possible to apply by phone, or for foreign directors who can’t access myGovID and ATO identity information, there is a pdf form.
To view step by step information on setting up myGovID, click here.
To view further information on applying for Director ID, click here