The government has announced temporary relief for individuals who have not yet obtained a Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), allowing them to open bank accounts and renew vehicle revenue licences without immediately producing a TIN certificate.
Cabinet Spokesman and Health and Mass Media Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa said the move was intended to address difficulties faced by the public following the introduction of mandatory TIN requirements for eight categories of economic activities from November 1, 2026.
Speaking at the weekly Cabinet media briefing, the Minister said the Commissioner General of Inland Revenue was issuing instructions to relevant institutions to allow these transactions to proceed using National Identity Card (NIC) details and other basic personal information.
Under the arrangement, individuals without a TIN will be able to open bank accounts by submitting their NIC number and required personal details.
Similarly, those renewing vehicle revenue licences will be permitted to proceed without a TIN certificate by providing their NIC details at the relevant Divisional Secretariat offices.
The Minister stressed that the arrangement does not remove the requirement to obtain a TIN and urged the public to complete their registration gradually without unnecessary panic.
He said approximately 13 million of Sri Lanka’s estimated 17 million people aged over 18 had already been issued TIN numbers, leaving around four million yet to register.
Dr. Jayatissa also clarified that obtaining a TIN does not automatically make an individual liable to pay income tax.
According to the Minister, although 13 million people have received TIN numbers, only around 1.2 million income tax files are currently maintained.
He said the difficulties had mainly arisen in relation to opening new bank accounts and renewing vehicle revenue licences, while the remaining categories of transactions had not experienced similar levels of disruption.
Responding to questions about long queues at Inland Revenue offices and problems accessing the online registration system, the Minister acknowledged technical difficulties and said steps were being taken to resolve them.
He urged the public not to be misled by claims that TIN registration would no longer be available after November 1.
The Minister reiterated that the government intends to gradually bring all eligible individuals into the TIN registration system as part of broader efforts to formalise economic activities and improve tax administration. (Newswire)