TIN now mandatory for bank accounts, vehicle registration

Daily Mirror and WhatNews (සිංහල) report that a valid Taxpayer Identification Number became mandatory from November 1 for several specified transactions. Daily Mirror says these include opening bank accounts, registering motor vehicles and obtaining credit cards; WhatNews (සිංහල) also lists opening accounts at banks or financial institutions and seeking approval for a building plan. Sri Lanka Mirror and Ada Derana report the requirement taking effect on November 1, with Sri Lanka Mirror attributing it to the Department of Inland Revenue.

Newswire reports that long queues and difficulties obtaining TIN certificates were reported at Inland Revenue Department offices across Sri Lanka on November 3. At the department’s Kalutara regional office, applicants described waiting for hours or returning repeatedly without completing the process. Some said a system failure had prevented them from getting certificates the previous day; others said they were asked to provide more documents or come back later. Newswire also reports complaints about waiting in rainy conditions and taking time off work.

Newswire reports that some applicants said the delays were affecting vehicle-related services, including driving and revenue licences. The same outlet says Sri Lankan tax rules require a TIN for resident individuals who were 18 by December 31, 2023, and those turning 18 on or after January 1, 2024. It describes the new transaction rules as covering eight categories of financial, commercial and administrative activity.

Newswire reports that Deputy Minister of Economic Development Nishantha Jayaweera addressed Parliament on November 3 and urged the public not to queue at IRD offices. He said the department would soon announce a process allowing people to provide a copy of their national identity card, an active mobile number and an email address to the institution where they seek a service; that institution would coordinate with the IRD. He also said the IRD would send a TIN or income tax number to the supplied email and that certificates could be obtained through its online system. Newswire says the proposed process is intended for people with and without an existing TIN.

Written automatically by AI from the outlets’ own reports, and not reviewed by an editor. It can be wrong — the original report is the authority.