Take the TFN out before it goes to the lender
Lenders and brokers ask for tax returns and notices of assessment. They can assess a loan without the tax file number. AusRedact looks for it on every page, you check, and the copy you send has it burnt out.
An example individual tax return. The taxpayer name, address, tax file number, date of birth, mobile number, refund bank details and signature are each highlighted, then blacked out.
Why the TFN comes out
The Privacy (Tax File Number) Rule 2015 limits the use and sharing of a TFN to purposes allowed by tax, superannuation and personal assistance laws. A home loan application is not one of them.
The Tax Practitioners Board also has guidance for tax agents on keeping TFNs out of email. Read TPB(GS) 36/2021.
Keep what the lender needs
A lender may need the name, the income figures and the ABN. AusRedact looks for ABNs as well, so use "Black out by type" to switch every ABN off in one go, and turn off the name if the lender needs to match the return to the applicant.
Then check every page and download. The TFN is gone for good, and the figures the lender needs are untouched.
How it looks for a TFN
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Every number is tested
A TFN has a check digit. AusRedact tests every 9-digit number against it, written together or in groups of three, so it flags 9-digit numbers that pass the check, with or without a label. Some other numbers will pass too, so you check each one.
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Smudged scans and older TFNs
A number beside the words "TFN" or "tax file number" is flagged even when the check fails, so a smudged scan or an older 8-digit TFN can still come up for you to look at.
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Every page is checked
A TFN in a page header, on a payment summary or in a cover letter is checked the same way as one on the front page.
Priced for a practice
A 4-page notice of assessment costs $1.50, and the 6 unused pages go to your page balance. A 20-page tax return costs $3.00. No subscription and no seat licences.
If you send returns to lenders every week, a page pack brings the rate down to 8c a page. Use the pages across as many documents as you like for 12 months.
Other ways people use AusRedact
- AFCA complaints
Statements, loan files and letters, with TFNs, Medicare numbers and card numbers removed before they go to AFCA.
- FOI requests
Edited copies for freedom of information releases, with other people's names, phone numbers and signatures blacked out.
See what is in your document before you pay
Upload a PDF, Word document, JPG or PNG. We check the first 10 pages for Australian identifiers free and show you the price. No account needed.