Highlights

  • The ATO is encouraging tax professionals to help clients strengthen the security of their myID accounts.
  • myID, formerly myGovID, is the Australian Government’s Digital ID app used to prove identity when accessing participating online services.
  • Strong myID provides the highest identity strength and can improve protection against identity misuse.
  • Clients who have experienced identity compromise should strengthen their myID and review account security promptly.

The Australian Taxation Office is encouraging tax agents to help their clients strengthen the security of their myID accounts as part of a broader effort to protect taxpayer identities from fraud.

In guidance for tax professionals published in August 2026, the ATO highlighted myID as an important identity-protection tool and encouraged advisers to discuss stronger sign-in security with clients.

What myID is

myID, formerly known as myGovID, is the Australian Government’s Digital ID app.

It allows individuals to prove who they are when accessing participating government online services. Users can also connect myID to their myGov account and use it as a sign-in method for myGov.

One important clarification is that myID does not itself contain or provide access to ATO services inside the app. Instead, it is used to verify a person’s identity when they access participating online services through the relevant service’s login page.

That makes myID part of the security layer protecting access to sensitive government information.

Aim for Strong myID

myID has three identity-strength levels: Basic, Standard and Strong.

Strong is the highest identity strength and allows access to all participating government online services. Achieving it requires stronger identity verification, including verification of eligible Australian identity documents and a photo check.

The ATO is encouraging clients, particularly those facing elevated identity-security risks, to strengthen their myID where possible.

Higher identity strength provides additional assurance that the person accessing an account is genuinely who they claim to be.

Why it matters

Tax-related Identity Theft can lead to unauthorised access, fraudulent lodgments and significant disruption for affected clients.

Tax agents are therefore well placed to raise digital identity security during normal client interactions.

The issue is especially important for clients who have already been exposed to scams, stolen personal information or other forms of identity compromise.

Official myID security guidance recommends that people who have engaged with a scam or disclosed personal information increase their identity strength to the highest level possible and enable app notifications for login activity.

Who may be affected

Tax agents and their clients are the main audience.

Clients who regularly access ATO or other government services online should pay particular attention to securing their Digital ID.

Those who have previously suffered identity theft, responded to Phishing messages or disclosed personal information to scammers face an even stronger reason to review their myID security.

Agents do not need access to the client’s myID account to help. Their role is primarily to explain the security benefits and direct clients toward official guidance.

What to consider next

Agents can include myID security as part of routine client discussions.

Useful steps include encouraging clients to:

  • increase their myID identity strength where appropriate;
  • use only the official myID app;
  • keep their personal email address and account information secure;
  • enable available login notifications;
  • avoid clicking suspicious links purporting to be from myID; and
  • report suspicious activity promptly.

Official myID guidance warns that scammers may impersonate the service through emails, text messages, fake websites and apps. It specifically advises users not to respond to suspicious communications or follow unexpected links requesting login or personal information.

Identity security is a shared responsibility

The ATO’s message to tax professionals is that protecting taxpayer identities requires both secure government systems and secure behaviour by users.

myID is one part of that defence.

Clients who increase their identity strength make it harder for someone else to impersonate them using stolen personal information.

The Strong identity setting provides the highest level available within myID, while Standard and Basic may still be sufficient for services with lower identity requirements.

That distinction is important because not every online service requires Strong myID, but clients seeking greater protection may still choose to increase their identity strength where eligible.

Strong myID has eligibility requirements

One point worth clarifying is that not every client will necessarily be able to achieve Strong identity strength.

Strong myID requires additional identity verification, including an eligible Australian identity document and photo verification.

Current guidance indicates that an Australian passport can be used to achieve Strong identity strength, while some other document Options may also be available depending on the user’s circumstances.

Clients who cannot achieve Strong identity strength should check the minimum identity strength required for the government service they need to access.

How agents can raise it with clients

Tax agents do not need to become cyber-security specialists to make a useful difference.

Simply raising the subject of myID, explaining the difference between Basic, Standard and Strong identity strengths, and directing clients to official myID guidance can prompt stronger security behaviour.

For clients who have already experienced identity compromise, the conversation is even more important.

Agents can encourage them to strengthen their Digital ID, monitor login activity and seek appropriate support if suspicious access is detected.

A short discussion before a problem occurs can be considerably easier than dealing with compromised tax information afterwards.