AI News
18 Feb 2026
Read 9 min
Avoid sharing TFN with AI: Protect your identity
Avoid sharing TFN with AI to prevent identity theft and keep your tax details private and secure now.
Australians should avoid sharing TFN with AI, even when using chatbots for tax help. The ATO warns that feeding your TFN or myGov details into AI tools can expose your identity, lead to fraud, and be hard to undo. Learn what to share, what to keep private, and the steps to take if you already shared.
Many people copy their tax returns into chatbots to “double-check” or find deductions. It feels fast and helpful. But once you post private data online, you lose control. Screenshots, browser extensions, shared devices, and model training can all spread your details. The ATO is clear: do not share your TFN or myGov info with AI tools.
Screenshots and copy-paste can spread your TFN to others.
Browser extensions can read page content.
Shared or work devices may log or sync your chats.
Cloud backups and team dashboards can expose messages.
Explain common deduction categories in plain language.
Summarize public ATO guidance and link to sources.
Draft a checklist of questions to ask your tax agent.
Set a generic to-do list for record-keeping.
Only use public info. Never paste your TFN, myGov details, bank numbers, driver’s licence, passport, full payslips, or scanned IDs.
Uploading your tax return or income statements to “review.”
Sharing your TFN, myGov, full name plus DOB, or address history.
Letting a bot calculate your refund from your real documents.
Trusting a chatbot for final tax advice. AI can be wrong or outdated.
Remember: tax laws change. AI can “hallucinate” rules and miss ATO red flags. Wrong claims can trigger penalties or audits.
Call the ATO’s Client Identity Support Centre on 1800 467 033. Ask for protective measures on your record.
Change your myGov password and turn on strong multi-factor authentication.
Review myGov and ATO account activity for any changes you did not make.
Contact your bank to add extra verification on your accounts.
Place a credit ban with Australia’s credit reporting bodies (Equifax, illion, Experian) and request a free credit report.
Delete the chat where you shared your TFN. Turn off chat history/training in the tool’s privacy settings.
Keep a log of dates, accounts, and actions you took in case of identity support or police reports.
Consider IDCARE for free identity theft support and next steps.
Lodge via myTax in myGov or use a registered tax agent.
Read official ATO guidance and calculators on ato.gov.au.
Use secure document portals from your accountant, not email or chat apps.
Ask AI for general rules, then verify on the ATO site.
Have AI draft a question list for your accountant, without any personal data.
Use AI to explain terms you see on public ATO pages.
“The chat is private.” It is not guaranteed. Logs, plugins, and screenshots exist.
“Deleting the message fixes it.” Copies may remain in backups or training sets.
“TFN alone is harmless.” TFN plus name and DOB is enough for serious harm.
“AI is up to date.” Often, it is not. Tax rules and thresholds change.
Never upload tax returns, IDs, or TFNs to chatbots.
Turn off chat history/training and use enterprise tools only if your org has a strict data policy.
Verify AI answers on the ATO website before you act.
Use a registered tax agent for personal advice.
Always avoid sharing TFN with AI, and keep myGov details secret.
Good tech habits make tax time easier, but your identity comes first. To stay safe, keep personal data off chatbots, use trusted ATO channels, and confirm any AI guidance with official sources. Most of all, avoid sharing TFN with AI so you keep control of your money and your name.
Why you must avoid sharing TFN with AI
Your TFN is a master key
Your Tax File Number links to your income, super, and benefits. If someone gets it, they can try to open credit, claim refunds, or change your records. A stolen TFN can cause months of stress. That is why the ATO says to avoid sharing TFN with AI or any chatbot.Where data can leak
Even if a chat window seems private, your data can escape:Model training and data retention
Many AI tools improve their models using user chats unless you turn off training or use a vetted enterprise service. That means your tax details could be stored, reviewed, or used to train systems. You cannot be sure who may see it or for how long.Smarter ways to use AI at tax time
What AI can do safely
You can use AI for general learning without sharing personal data:What AI should not do
Avoid these risky uses:If you already entered your TFN into a chatbot
Move fast to protect yourself:Real risks, rising use
A recent survey found nearly a third of Aussies use AI for tax help and about 40% for money tasks. Convenience is tempting, but identity theft is costly. One leaked TFN can affect refunds, credit, and government services. Treat it like your passport and guard it.Better options than pasting data into a bot
Use trusted channels
Ask better, safer questions
Common myths to drop
Final tips at a glance
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FAQ
Q: Why does the ATO advise people to avoid sharing TFN with AI?
A: Your Tax File Number links to your income, super and government benefits and can be used to open credit or claim refunds if compromised. The ATO advises to avoid sharing TFN with AI because once personal tax data is posted you can lose control and it may be exposed or used in model training.
Q: How can my TFN leak when I use a chatbot?
A: Data can leak via screenshots, copy-paste, browser extensions, shared or work devices, cloud backups or team dashboards, and through model training or retention. For these reasons the ATO warns Australians to avoid sharing TFN with AI.
Q: Can AI tools use my tax conversations to train their models?
A: Yes, many AI providers use user chats to improve and train models unless users opt out or use a vetted enterprise service with strict data policies. Because of that risk the ATO recommends you avoid sharing TFN with AI or other personal tax details.
Q: What should I do immediately if I’ve already entered my TFN into a chatbot?
A: Call the ATO’s Client Identity Support Centre on 1800 467 033 as soon as possible and ask for protective steps on your record. Change your myGov password, enable strong multi-factor authentication, review account activity, contact your bank, consider placing a credit ban with Equifax, illion or Experian, delete the chat and turn off chat history/training, and remember to avoid sharing TFN with AI going forward.
Q: Is it safe to upload my tax return or payslips to an AI tool for review?
A: No — uploading tax returns, payslips or other documents with identifying numbers can expose your TFN and other sensitive details and may be retained or shared. The ATO and tax experts say to avoid sharing TFN with AI and to use myTax, a registered tax agent or secure document portals instead.
Q: What kinds of tax questions are safe to ask AI?
A: You can safely ask AI for general explanations of deduction categories, summaries of public ATO guidance, or to draft a checklist of questions for your tax agent, as long as you don’t include personal data. Always avoid sharing TFN with AI and verify any AI guidance on the official ATO website before acting.
Q: How can businesses use AI safely for tax-related work?
A: Use vetted enterprise AI services with strict data policies, turn off chat history or training where possible, and transfer sensitive documents via secure portals rather than public chat tools. Organisations should still instruct staff to avoid sharing TFN with AI unless they are using trusted, policy-compliant systems.
Q: What common myths about AI and tax privacy should I ignore?
A: Ignore myths like “the chat is private,” “deleting a message removes all copies,” “TFN alone is harmless,” and “AI is always up to date,” because backups, plugins and training processes can preserve or expose information. To stay safe, avoid sharing TFN with AI and confirm important tax matters via the ATO or a registered tax agent.
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