Our first day in Australia and we had to start the fun and games by opening up a bank account with a superannuation fund and start to apply for a Tax File Number (TFN).
Opening a Bank Account
Opening a bank account couldn't be easier. We walked into the bank (we chose Westpac) we told the cashier or the "teller" as they call them here, and told them we was backpackers on a working holiday visa and that we needed a bank. The only information she asked for was an address we was staying at, our date of birth, a photocopy of our passport and if we had a tax file number.
Our teller was a girl called Jasmin, she talked more to us about her trip to Bali than our bank account itself. We had to put a deposit in there as soon as possible.
Superannuation
This is like the UK pension scheme. People with working holiday visa's can have a rebate when they leave the country. So for us it's more like a savings account but we only get a percentage back.
Tax File Number
Before we can start work we needed to apply for a tax file number. To apply for a TFN you can apply online like we did via this link "Apply for TFN" or you can call "13 2861" or you can apply in person by going to one of the office's.
You give you TFN to your bank so they can control your "superannuation" and how much tax you pay. This number is usually 8 figures or 9 figures.
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