Who to contact for what
| Your question | Contact | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Residential property application, approval, vacancy fee, the Register, access to Online services for foreign investors | ATO foreign investment line: 1800 050 377 | Monday to Friday, 8:00 am to 6:00 pm AEST, except national public holidays |
| The same, calling from overseas | +61 2 6216 1111 | Treasury says to ask to be transferred to 1800 050 377. The ATO's own contact page lists this overseas number for 8:00 am to 5:00 pm AEDT, Monday to Friday |
| A linking code if you are an individual without an ABN | ATO, 13 28 61, option 1 | Say the call is about Online services for foreign investors |
| An authorisation code if you are a business without an ABN | ATO, 13 28 66, option 1 | Same |
| Problems with your myID | 1300 287 539, option 2 | As listed on the ATO contact page |
| Pre-lodgement enquiries on non-residential proposals (agricultural land, business, commercial land, mining) | Treasury: foreigninvestmentenquiries@treasury.gov.au or +61 2 6263 3795 | Email is preferred, with the phone line for urgent enquiries. Phone is Monday to Friday, 10:00 am to 12:00 pm and 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm AEST, except ACT public holidays |
| A submission already lodged in Treasury's portal | The portal's communications function | Not used for residential applications |
| Suspected breach of the rules (residential property) | ATO tip-off form on its report a breach page, or 1800 060 062 | The ATO says you can report confidentially |
| Suspected breach of the rules (other investments) | Treasury's Foreign Investment Portal, or foreigninvestmentcompliance@treasury.gov.au | Treasury's contact page lists both |
The ATO page lists the 13 and 1300 numbers without saying whether they work from overseas. Anyone abroad can start with the overseas line above.
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What the contact points can help with
The ATO line covers the application process, vacancy fee returns, compliance and access to Online services for foreign investors. Before it discusses details or updates records, the ATO checks identity. Its page lists what to have ready:
- an Australian tax file number or ABN, if you have one
- your ATO reference number from notification letters
- details from letters or notices the ATO has sent
- account details such as payment or refund amounts
- investment details such as purchase or settlement dates
- the passport and visa details shown on your application
Before calling, the ATO suggests checking its foreign investment pages and the Foreign Investment website, and using Online services for foreign investors to see where an application or vacancy fee lodgement stands. For help in another language, the ATO page points to the Translating and Interpreting Service, which the ATO's contact page lists on 13 14 50 in Australia or +61 3 9268 8332 from overseas, 8:00 am to 6:00 pm Monday to Friday. Treasury also offers information in 26 languages other than English, including simplified and traditional Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Hindi, Indonesian and Tagalog. Check any translated file against the English pages.
What they cannot do
Treasury's disclaimer says the information on its site and phone line is a general reference and that the Commonwealth is not providing professional advice. Treasury's policy document says foreign investors should seek independent legal advice if they have any doubt about whether an investment must be notified. The contact lines explain rules and process. Questions that turn on the facts of your own deal, such as how to word a contract condition or whether a particular structure makes you a foreign person, are the kind Treasury points people to legal advice for. Whether you need a lawyer or agent is covered separately.
Treasury's foreign investment website lists a Singapore help desk for Singaporean investors and their agents, but Treasury says it does not assist with residential real estate applications.
Scams and look-alike messages
People waiting on an approval are an obvious target for scam messages. The ATO publishes what it will never do:
- send unsolicited messages with hyperlinks or QR codes, or ask for personal information by email or SMS
- ask for payment by gift card, crypto, cash delivery or personal or offshore accounts
- threaten arrest or demand you stay on the line
Real ATO emails come from addresses ending in ato.gov.au. The ATO says it may contact people by SMS and email, and may email a linking code or authorisation code for Online services for foreign investors, so a code you have just asked for is expected. An unexpected message about a refund, debt or locked account is not.
Fees for a residential application are paid through Online services for foreign investors using a payment reference number shown there, in Australian dollars. Treasury says its own payment details appear in its portal after lodging. An email or text with different bank details deserves suspicion.
To report a scam, forward the message to ReportScams@ato.gov.au or use the ATO's online report a scam form. If you have already paid or shared information, the ATO says to call 1800 008 540 straight away.
Keep reading
- The FIRB portal: which online system do home buyers use, and how does it work?
- FIRB portal login: how to set up an account and sign in
- Do you need a lawyer or agent to lodge a FIRB application?
- The Foreign Investment Review Board explained: who decides your application?
- The FIRB Act and regulations: which laws apply to foreign home buyers?
- What does FIRB approval mean, and what does it cover?
Frequently asked questions
Is there an email address for residential FIRB enquiries?
The Treasury and ATO pages list a phone line for residential questions, and a Treasury email address for enquiries about non-residential investments. No separate email address for residential applications is listed on those pages, so use the phone line. Online services for foreign investors shows the progress of an application.
Can my lawyer or agent call on my behalf?
The ATO page does not say whether a representative can phone for you. It says staff check identity before discussing details. For lodging, the foreign person can authorise a representative in Online services for foreign investors, which the login and account guide explains. Whether a given firm lodges for buyers is something to ask that firm.
Which number do I call if my linking code is not working?
The ATO page lists 13 28 61, option 1, for linking codes for individuals without an ABN, and 13 28 66, option 1, for authorisation codes for businesses without an ABN. Tell the operator the call is about Online services for foreign investors. Codes are valid for a limited time: the ATO says a linking code is valid for 24 hours.
Where do I report someone breaking the foreign investment rules?
For residential property, the ATO's report a breach page (updated 23 September 2026) lists an online tip-off form and the phone line 1800 060 062, and says you can report confidentially. Treasury's contact page says suspected breaches can be reported through its Foreign Investment Portal or by email to foreigninvestmentcompliance@treasury.gov.au. Guidance Note 14, version 4, also says a suspected breach on residential land can be reported anonymously by calling the foreign investment enquiry line, so ask the ATO which route currently applies.
Sources
- Contact us, Foreign investment in Australia (Treasury)
- Contact us about foreign investment, ATO
- Australia's Foreign Investment Policy, May 2026, Treasury
- Singapore help desk, Treasury
- Disclaimer, Foreign investment in Australia (Treasury)
- Verify or report a scam, ATO
- Other languages, Treasury
- Contact us, ATO
- Report a breach of the foreign investment rules, ATO
- Guidance Note 14: Compliance and penalties (residential land), version 4, Treasury
Checked 5 October 2026.
firbapproval.com.au is an independent guide. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to the Foreign Investment Review Board, the Australian Treasury or the Australian Taxation Office. We do not lodge or process applications. Applications are made to the ATO. General information only, not legal, tax, migration or financial advice.