Paying ATO Tax from Overseas with OFX

How to check an OFX transfer for an Australian Taxation Office payment from overseas, including AUD, payment reference number and timing requirements.

Can you pay the ATO from overseas using OFX?

OFX supports international transfers to Australia and describes tax payments as one use for its personal transfer service. However, its current public registration page does not document an ATO-specific payment process.

Before booking, ask OFX to confirm that it can send the payment in Australian dollars to the ATO's current account and carry your complete payment reference number (PRN) in the required payment-reference field. Do not assume that an ordinary transfer without the correct PRN will be allocated to your tax account.

What the ATO currently requires

The ATO's international-payment instructions say that a payment from an overseas bank account must:

be sent in Australian dollars through SWIFT;
use the current Reserve Bank of Australia recipient details published by the ATO; and
contain only the correct PRN in SWIFT field 70, usually labelled “details of payment”.

Find the PRN for the relevant tax account in ATO online services or on an ATO payment notice. Different tax accounts or obligations can have different PRNs, so reuse an old reference only after checking it.

Always copy the current banking instructions from the ATO's official payment-options page. Banking details and payment methods can change.

A practical OFX payment checklist

1. Confirm the amount and due date. Obtain the current balance and allow time for conversion, compliance checks and delivery.

2. Retrieve the correct PRN. Use the reference for the exact ATO account being paid.

3. Check the live ATO instructions. Confirm the currency, SWIFT code, recipient account and field used for the PRN.

4. Ask OFX before booking. Confirm that the transfer route accepts the ATO recipient details and preserves the full PRN exactly as required.

5. Compare the complete quote. Check the OFX customer rate, any fee and the AUD amount expected to reach the ATO. An intermediary or recipient-bank deduction could create a shortfall.

6. Retain evidence. Save the OFX confirmation, transfer reference and ATO account record until the payment has been allocated.

The payment must reach the ATO by the due date. A booking or debit date is not necessarily the date the ATO receives and credits the money.

Who may need to make an overseas ATO payment?

Examples include an Australian living abroad who still has an Australian tax liability, an owner of Australian property or investments, or an overseas business with an Australian tax obligation. The amount owed, liability type and correct PRN are tax matters; check them with the ATO or a qualified tax adviser.

Child-support payments are administered separately and should not be sent using ATO payment instructions.

Compare before transferring

OFX converts the sending currency into AUD at its customer exchange rate. Compare the final AUD delivery amount and estimated arrival time with other available transfer routes rather than relying on a “no fee” or savings claim alone.

Use BER's international money transfer comparison and read the current OFX review before deciding. If OFX confirms that your ATO payment is supported, use BER's current OFX registration link.

Reviewed 3 August 2026 against the ATO's current international-payment instructions and OFX's current personal-transfer information. Product availability and transfer handling can change; confirm the payment route before sending funds.