Director Identification Numbers (DIN)

All directors, including directors of SMSF corporate trustees, will need a DIN.
Directors will be able to apply for a DIN from next month – November 2021.

What is a DIN?

The DIN is a unique identifier that a director will apply for once and will keep forever.

Who Needs a DIN?

You need a DIN if you are a director or an alternate director who is acting in that capacity of the following types of organisations:

• a company
• a corporate trustee, for example, of a self-managed super fund
• a charity or not-for-profit organisation that is a company
• a registered Australian body
• a foreign company registered with ASIC and carrying on business in Australia (regardless of where you live).

You do not a need DIN if you are:

• a company secretary but not a director
• acting as an external administrator of a company
• running a business as a sole trader or partnership
• referred to as a ‘director’ in your job title but have not been appointed as a director under the Corporations Act
• a director of a registered charity with an organisation type that is not registered with ASIC to operate throughout Australia
• an officer of an unincorporated association, cooperative or incorporated association established under State or Territory legislation, unless the organisation is also a registered Australian body.

When to Apply

You can apply for a DIN from November 2021. However, when you must apply for a DIN depends on the date you became a director.

• If you became a director on or before 31 October 2021, you must apply for a DIN by 30 November 2022
• If you became a director between 1 November 2021 and 4 April 2022, you must apply within 28 days of appointment
• If you become a director from 5 April 2022, you must apply for a DIN before your appointment.

How to Apply

DIN’s can be obtained from the online Australian Business Registry Services which is accessed through myGovID.

You will therefore need an active myGovID account.

You can then apply for a DIN from your myGovID account with the following documents:

• tax file number
• 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
• superannuation account details
• a dividend statement
• PAYG payment summary

Directors must apply for DIN themselves. No one is able to apply for a DIN on their behalf.