Getting set up: ABN, TFN and WWVP

Three things come up before almost any first job, contract gig, or volunteering role involving children or vulnerable people — sorted late, each one costs you: weeks of tax at the top rate, a shifted tax obligation you didn't agree to, or being turned away on day one. All three are free (or near enough) to get directly from the government — never pay a third-party site to "apply" for you.

TFN — Tax File Number

You can't be paid for a job, casual or otherwise, without a TFN — skip it and you're taxed at the top marginal rate on every dollar until you provide one. Apply free through the ATO (Australian Taxation Office) online, by post, or in person — never through a paid agency.

• Once you have a job, your employer gives you a TFN declaration to complete — do this in your first week.
• If you have two jobs, only claim the tax-free threshold on the one paying you more.

ABN — Australian Business Number

Getting talked into an ABN for what's really an ordinary job shifts tax and super obligations onto you that should sit with your employer — worth knowing before you agree to anything, not after you've signed.

An ABN is for running your own business — sole-trader freelancing, tutoring independently, invoiced creative gigs — not for being a regular employee, casual included. Apply free via the Australian Business Register (the ABR); you'll need a TFN first.

• If an employer asks you to get an ABN so they can pay you as a "contractor" for what is really an ordinary job — set hours, their equipment, told how to do the work — that can be sham contracting, which is against the law.
• If this happens, that's worth bringing to a query.

WWVP — Working with Vulnerable People registration

Turning up to a placement without this sorted can mean being turned away on day one — plenty of tutoring, mentoring, and camp-style volunteering roles (including ones that count toward ANU+) legally require it before you start.

WWVP is the ACT's background check for anyone working or volunteering with children, older people, or people with disability. Apply through Access Canberra.

• It includes a national police check and is free for volunteer (unpaid) roles, and low-cost for paid ones.
• Processing can take a few weeks, so apply as soon as you know a role will need it — not the week before you start.
• Registration is valid for three years and covers all your WWVP-eligible roles in that time, so you don't need a fresh one per role.

Something about an offer or a form doesn't add up — sham contracting, being asked to pay for a "registration service", anything like that? Book a query and get a second set of eyes on it.