The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has announced that the National Identification Number (NIN) issued by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) now automatically serves as a Tax Identification Number (Tax ID) for individual Nigerians.
The declaration was made in a public awareness campaign on Nigeria’s new tax laws, posted by the FIRS on its official X (formerly Twitter) handle on Monday.
According to the Service, registered businesses will also no longer require a separate Tax Identification Number, as their Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) Registration (RC) number will automatically function as their Tax ID under the new tax system.
The clarification comes amid growing public concerns over provisions in the new tax laws that mandate the use of a Tax ID for certain financial and economic transactions, including bank account operations.
Explaining the policy, the FIRS stated that the Nigeria Tax Administration Act (NTAA), scheduled to come into force in January 2026, requires the use of a unified Tax ID for taxable transactions. The agency, however, stressed that the requirement is not entirely new, noting that it has existed since the Finance Act of 2019 but has now been strengthened under the NTAA.
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“The Tax ID unifies all TINs previously issued by the FIRS and State Internal Revenue Services into a single identifier,” the Service said.
“For individuals, your NIN automatically serves as your Tax ID, while for registered companies, your CAC RC number is used. You do not need a physical card, as the Tax ID is a unique number directly linked to your identity.”
The FIRS explained that the new system is designed to simplify taxpayer identification, reduce duplication, close loopholes for tax evasion, and promote fairness by ensuring that all individuals and entities earning taxable income contribute appropriately.
With the new framework, all Nigerians who possess a NIN automatically have a Tax ID and can be brought into the tax net, provided they earn taxable income. According to data released by the National Identity Management Commission, about 123.9 million Nigerians had been issued NINs as of October 2025.
The development has also eased fears that Nigerians would be required to undergo another registration process to obtain a Tax ID from 2026 in order to open or operate bank accounts.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee, Mr. Taiwo Oyedele, has previously clarified that the new tax laws do not mandate all bank account holders to obtain a Tax Identification Number before January 2026.
Oyedele explained that Section 4 of the NTAA requires only taxable persons—defined as individuals or entities earning income through trade or other economic activities—to obtain a Tax ID. He added that individuals without taxable income, such as students and dependents, are exempt from the requirement.
He further noted that since 2020, businesses and corporate bank accounts have already been required to provide a Tax Identification Number as part of banking and regulatory processes.
(Nairametrics)