MyGovID and RAM

You need to able to prove your identity before you can use any Australian Taxation Office web portal. For businesses, that ID is called MyGovID.

You then need to be grant yourself access to your business in Relationship Access Manager (or RAM).

Only then can you start using ATO portals such as the Business Portal.

The ID that proves who you really are and gives you access to everything is called MyGovID and you have to download it to your smart phone. Then submit some documents to prove who you are.

• So I have to have a smart phone (or device)? Yes! You do!
• I can only use 2 of 4 types of documents? Only those 4? Yes. So if, for any reason, you can’t provide enough relevant documents (see below) then you can’t have a MyGovID.
• This makes it very hard for a lot of people including those who were born overseas.
• This is despite the fact that you can ring the ATO and use a much, much wider range of proof of identity and get full access to pretty much everything over the phone anyway (so why can’t you just get MyGovID over the phone?)

Supposedly, MyGovID will be “enhanced” in the future. Until then – tough!

Step 1

Download the MyGovID app from the App Store – if you have an Apple device or Google Play – if you have an Android.

You need two of the following Australian identity documents and your name must match exactly in both documents (also make sure you use the name that the ATO have for you in their records).

• Driver’s licence or learner’s permit
• Passport
• Birth certificate
• Medicare card.

Step 2

Log into the RAM (Relationship Access Manager) website on your computer or phone using your MyGovID and follow the prompts to ‘link your business’. This means you are wanting to appoint yourself as a Principal Authority.

If you are a sole trader that means your own ABN. Or you need to be an eligible individual associate for the company/business such as a director, partner or trustee. Or a primary person such as the director of a corporate trustee.

Basically, you need to be an eligible person listed on an ABN in the Australian Business Register.

If you are the Principal Authority then you can authorise your employees and others to act on behalf of your business online.

So, for example, to allow your bookkeeper access to the Business Portal so they can lodge activity statements, etc, etc.

They’ll receive an email to accept the authorisation request using their MyGovID (so yes, they have to sign up for a MyGovID too and the email goes to the email they used to set it up).

Step 3

Once you’ve completed these steps, you (and people you have authorised) can log into the Business Portal using your MyGovID.

A four digit code will appear on the Business Portal login screen of your browser which you then enter in the MyGovID app.

The MyGovID app is only used for the log in step. So once it is set up it is fairly painless.

Afterword

Here are some common problems you might encounter and things to remember.

• If you can’t achieve a “Standard” identity strength for MyGovID then you can’t be a Principal Authority. But employees who have a “Basic” identity strength can still be granted access by a Principal Authority.
• Sometimes you can’t link to a business in RAM. You just can’t see your business in there. Ring the tax office and get them to manually add your business. The business line is: 13 28 66
• Write down what identity documents you used to verify yourself in MyGovID. If you have to re-install the app or change phones you have to re-identify yourself and you have to use the same 2 documents.
• Make sure you use an email address for MyGovID that you will always be able to access. It sounds crazy but you can’t change your email address. And, you can’t set it up with a new email address using the same identity documents.
• You need to access RAM to setup Standard Business Reporting (SBR) software such as Xero or MYOB. But if you can’t do this then you can always ring the ATO and manually register the SSID number for the software over the phone on the business line: 13 28 66

Registered tax agents and BAS agents can help you with your tax – so you don’t have to do all this stuff!

There is a very good guide on the ATO website: Accessing online services with MyGovID and RAM

If you need help then consult: Technical support

Information about: MyGovID

Relationship Authorisation Manager or: RAM

About the: Business Portal