The Inland Revenue Department has postponed until 1 April 2027 the compulsory submission of a Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) for eight essential transactions, the Commissioner General of Inland Revenue confirmed.
The requirement came into effect on 1 November. The postponement therefore gives a five-month extension.
The department announced the change after widespread public difficulty in obtaining TIN certificates. Long queues were reported at Inland Revenue offices, and the department’s online registration system suffered disruptions.
The eight transactions covered by the postponement are opening a bank account, obtaining building plan approval, registering a vehicle, renewing a vehicle revenue licence, registering land, registering a business, transferring company shares and obtaining a credit card.
The government had earlier introduced temporary relief for bank account openings and for vehicle revenue licence renewals, the department said.
Background
A TIN is a unique number issued by the Inland Revenue Department to identify a person or business for tax purposes. Tax authorities in many countries use such numbers to match a taxpayer’s income and transactions with their tax record.
Under the rule that took effect on 1 November, people carrying out any of the eight listed transactions were required to provide a TIN. Many people who had never registered with the department therefore needed to obtain a certificate before they could complete routine dealings with banks, land registries and other offices.
The rush of applicants led to the queues at Inland Revenue offices and to the strain on the online registration system that the department cited when it announced the extension.
What it means
For the period until 1 April 2027, people in Sri Lanka and Sri Lankans abroad who need to open a bank account, register a vehicle, renew a revenue licence, register land or a company, transfer shares, obtain a credit card or seek building plan approval will not be required to submit a TIN for those transactions, according to the department’s announcement.
The extension does not remove the requirement. It moves the date from which a TIN will be compulsory for these transactions, so anyone who expects to carry out one of them after 1 April 2027 will still need to register with the department beforehand.
The department cited difficulties at its offices and with its online registration system as the reason for the extension, so anyone planning to register ahead of the new date may still face some delay.
