How do I know if a DPN has been issued to me?
Short answer
The only reliable sign is the notice itself: the ATO posts a director penalty notice to your address on the ASIC register, and the 21 days run from the posting date, not from when you see it. If you suspect one exists, call the ATO on 13 11 42 today and ask directly, then check your ASIC address, your co-directors and your tax agent.
Where the notice actually goes
A DPN is addressed to you personally, not to the company. The ATO sends it to the residential address recorded for you on the ASIC register, or to your last known address if there is no ASIC record. It is posted, or in some cases left at that address. There is no requirement that it reach your hands.
That is why directors miss them. The ASIC address is often an old home, a former accountant's office or a parent's house. The notice sits there while the 21 day window runs out. The ATO is not obliged to email you, text you or call you first.
Three ways to check today
- Call the ATO. Ring 13 11 42, identify yourself with your personal TFN, and ask whether a director penalty notice has been issued to you for any company. Ask for the date of the notice and the address it went to. Write both down.
- Check your ASIC address. Ask your accountant to pull your current company extract, or search the company on the ASIC register yourself. If the address is wrong, the notice may already be sitting there. Update it now so the next letter reaches you.
- Ask the people around the company. Every director receives their own notice, so if one co-director has a DPN, you almost certainly do too. Your tax agent may also have been copied on ATO correspondence about the company debt.
Do not rely on myGov or online services to flag it. A DPN is a dated paper letter, and the paper is what starts the clock.
Not sure a DPN exists? Find out fast
Free, confidential and no obligation. We match you with a specialist who deals with DPNs every week.
Warning signs that a DPN is coming
The ATO issued 84,529 DPNs in 2024-25, so this is routine enforcement rather than a rare step. A notice is more likely if:
- the company has unpaid PAYG withholding or GST on lodged or unlodged BAS;
- there is unpaid super guarantee charge, even from a single late quarter;
- you have received a director penalty warning letter or a company warning letter and did not respond;
- a payment plan has defaulted or a garnishee has been issued to the company.
If any of those apply, act as if a notice could arrive any day. Work out which amounts would be lockdown or non-lockdown now, before the window is open and closing.
What to do next
- Call the ATO on 13 11 42 today and ask whether a director penalty notice has been issued in your name, and on what date.
- Check and correct your residential address on the ASIC register so future notices reach you.
- Ask your co-directors and tax agent whether they have received anything, and get the company's lodgement and payment history in front of you.
Related questions
Does the ATO send a DPN by email or text?
No. A director penalty notice is a formal letter sent by post to your address on the ASIC register or your last known address. The ATO may email or text about company debts generally, but the notice that starts the 21 days is the paper one. An email claiming to be a DPN with a link to pay is a scam warning sign.
What if my ASIC address is out of date and I never saw the notice?
The notice is still valid. It counts as given when it is posted to the ASIC address, and non-delivery generally does not extend the 21 days. That is harsh, but it is how the law is written. Update your ASIC details immediately and call the ATO to find out the notice date so you know exactly where you stand.
Not sure a DPN exists? Find out fast
Free, confidential and no obligation. We match you with a specialist who deals with DPNs every week.
Get help nowMore questions: 16 Director penalty notice questions questions answered · Full guide: Director penalty notices