Error: "Tax File Number is in use by another contact" when editing a Tax File Number in Contacts

This support note applies to:

AE Tax Series 6 & 8 (AU)

These instructions require technical expertise

Make sure you know what you're doing and are using one of the products listed. If you're not sure, ask your IT professional or MYOB.

Article ID: 29333

In MYOB Accountants Enterprise (AE) Tax you may experience the error "Tax File Number is in use by another contact" when editing a Tax File Number using Contacts.

The Tax File Number (TFN) is a unique number, therefore to successfully use a TFN, remove the TFN from the first contact before entering it into a second contact.

This information is only relevant if you use Contacts to access tax returns.

To search for a TFN

If the error message did not specify the contact using the TFN, perform the following steps to sort your clients by that criteria and search for the problem contact.

From the Windows Desktop, follow the menu path: Start > Programs > MYOB Accountants Enterprise > Contacts. The Contacts window appears.
Select TFN from the Search By drop-down list. The contact list is sorted by TFN.
Type the relevant TFN in the TFN: field. If this TFN exists, the contact is highlighted.

If the TFN does not exist, please submit a support request quoting article number 29333. For more details refer to Submitting a support request

To remove a contact's TFN

Highlight the contact and then follow the menu path: File > Open > Profile... The contact's profile appears.
Click the Attributes tab. The contact's attributes appear.
Highlight the contacts TFN in the Tax File Number and then press DELETE. The TFN is deleted.
Press F5 to refresh the attributes. The TFN does not re-appear and yu can now enter that TFN in another contact.

MYOB Internal Notes:

Removing a TFN from the Profiles database using Datasafe

1.At the Windows Desktop, follow the menu path:
Start > Programs > Solution 6 > DataSafe.
The DataSafe Utilities window appears.

2.Click Support Tools.
The Database Utilities window appears.

3.Select the Following items under Other Utilities:
Utility: Dbed - edit database Database
Profiles (PMS) Client: No Client (Practice File)
Copy: Home
Arguments: -t~

4.Click Run Now.
The MS DOS window with a prompt appears.

5.Type p client with client taxfile(TFN) and press ENTER,
where; TFN is the actual Tax File Number you are trying to add to a new contact.
The following details appear on the next line:
clientcode~TFN.

6.Type s taxfile with client(clientcode) and press ENTER,
where: clientcode is the one noted from the previous line: clientcode~TFN.
The following details appear on the next line: TFN~clientcode

7.Type d taxfile with client(clientcode) and press ENTER.
A new prompt appears in the next line.

8.Type q and press ENTER.
The Database Utilities window appears and you can now enter the TFN without getting an error.