Taking into account the difficulties faced by members of the public who have not yet obtained a Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), the government has taken a new step. Accordingly, it is reported that the rule requiring the immediate submission of a TIN certificate when opening new bank accounts and renewing vehicle revenue licences has been temporarily relaxed.
Cabinet Spokesman and Minister of Health and Mass Media, Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa, speaking at the weekly Cabinet press briefing, stated that this decision was taken due to issues faced by the public after making the TIN mandatory for eight categories of economic activities from 1 November 2026.
Key Points
- The mandatory requirement to present a TIN immediately has been temporarily relaxed.
- Citizens can obtain these services by providing National Identity Card details.
- The government clarifies that merely having a TIN does not make one liable to pay income tax.
How to proceed using the National Identity Card
The Minister mentioned that the Commissioner General of Inland Revenue is issuing instructions to relevant institutions to allow these services to proceed based on National Identity Card (NIC) details and basic information.
Accordingly, even without a TIN, citizens can open bank accounts by providing their personal details, including the NIC number. Similarly, permission has been granted to renew vehicle revenue licences at Divisional Secretariats by presenting identity card information.
Having a TIN does not automatically require paying taxes
Pointing out that this relief does not eliminate the requirement to obtain a TIN, the Minister urged the public to complete the registration without panic. Out of an estimated 17 million people aged over 18 in the country, TIN numbers have already been issued to around 13 million, while nearly four million remain to be registered.
He also clarified that merely receiving a TIN does not make a person liable to pay tax. Although TINs have been issued to 13 million people, only 1.2 million tax files are currently maintained. He further requested the public not to be misled by false claims suggesting that one cannot register for a TIN after 1 November.
