Director Identification Numbers: Alert

Varun Kumar, Greg Godwin

7 October 2021

All company directors will be required to have a Director Identification Number (DIN) by the relevant due date depending on when they were appointed as a director. Company directors will need to apply for their DIN themselves and cannot use agents to apply on their behalf.

From November 2021, company directors will be able to start applying for a DIN through the Australian Business Registry Services (ABRS) website.

Who needs a DIN?
You will be required to apply for a DIN if you are a director of a:

company
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporation
corporate trustee, for example, of a self-managed super fund
charity or not-for-profit organisation that is a company or Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporation
registered Australian body, for example, an incorporated association that is registered with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) and trades outside the state or territory in which it is incorporated
foreign company registered with ASIC and carrying on business in Australia regardless of where you live.

Application Process

Step 1: Directors will need to set up a myGovID if they do not already have one. If you are a company director who does not have a myGovID, you can find information on how to download the app here.

Please be aware that a myGovID is separate to myGov. If you cannot get a myGovID online, you can apply by phone or through a paper form from November 2021.

Step 2: Directors will need to provide the following information when making their application:

tax file number (TFN).
residential address as held by the ATO.
information from two documents to verify your identity.

Examples of the documents you can use to verify your identity include:

bank account details
an ATO notice of assessment
super account details
a dividend statement
a Centrelink payment summary
PAYG payment summary.

Step 3: Complete your application on the ABRS website which should take less than five minutes.

Due Dates

Following are the due dates for DIN applications for most company directors:

Date you become a director	Date you must apply for your DIN
On or before 31 October 2021	By 30 November 2022
Between 1 November 2021 and 4 April 2022	Within 28 days of appointment
From 5 April 2022	Before appointment

Directors under the The Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006 (CATSI Act) have additional time to apply for a DIN and must apply for a DIN by the following dates:

Date you become a director	Date you must apply for your DIN
On or before 31 October 2022	By 30 November 2023
From 1 November 2022	Before appointment

Directors under the CATSI Act must:

be an individual who is at least 18 years old
be a member of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporation and an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander person (unless the corporation’s constitution or rule book says otherwise)
not be disqualified from managing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander corporation, unless the appointment is made with the permission of the Registrar of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporations or the Court.

Other points to note
Company directors will only have one DIN which they will keep forever even if they change companies, stop being a director, change their name or move interstate or overseas. Furthermore, the DIN will confirm your identity and trace your relationships to companies.

Once received, you need to provide your DIN to your organisation. Penalties and criminal charges may apply to directors who fail to apply for a DIN by the required timeframes above.

Whilst we cannot make the application on your behalf, your local Moore Australia advisor can assist you with further information and guidance.