How to Get Your TIN Online in Nigeria

Your Tax Identification Number (TIN) is your unique ID in Nigeria’s tax system. You’ll need it for things like business banking, compliance, some government services, contracts, and formal tax records.

The good news: you can typically generate or retrieve it online, and getting a TIN should not require paying anyone through unofficial channels.

What You Need Before You Start

If you’re applying as an individual

Have these ready:

• BVN
• Full name (exactly as it appears on your BVN record)
• Date of birth (as on your BVN record)
• Phone number
• Email address (where your confirmation/certificate can be sent)

If you’re applying for a business/company

Have these ready:

• CAC registration number (e.g., RC for companies, BN for business names)
• Business details (address, phone, email)
• Basic information about the owner/directors (as requested)

Step 1: First Confirm You Don’t Already Have a TIN

Many Nigerians already have a TIN without realising it—especially if you’ve:

• Worked a formal job where PAYE was processed
• Registered a business previously
• Completed certain banking or government onboarding

Use the official TIN verification/lookup service to check using details like your name/BVN (individual) or CAC number (business). If a TIN exists, do not create another one—retrieve and use the existing TIN.

Step 2: Register for an Individual TIN Online

If you don’t have one yet, the online self-registration route typically follows this flow:

1. Choose the Individual TIN registration option on the official portal.
2. Enter your BVN, date of birth, and name exactly as your BVN has it.
3. Complete the form (address, phone number, email, etc.).
4. Submit the request.
5. Your TIN details are usually issued/confirmed and sent to your email (or displayed for download/printing, depending on the portal’s flow).

Step 3: Register for a Business/Company TIN Online

For a business (company, business name, NGO, etc.) the process is similar but uses your CAC details:

1. Choose the Non-Individual/Business TIN registration option.
2. Provide your CAC number (RC/BN) and business details.
3. Fill in required owner/director information (as requested).
4. Submit the request.
5. Your TIN confirmation is typically sent to the email you provided or made available for download.

Common Problems (And How to Fix Them)

1) “Your details don’t match”

This usually happens when your name or date of birth does not match BVN records.

• Fix: Re-enter details exactly as your bank/BVN profile has them (spelling, order of names, DOB).

2) No email received after submission

• Check spam/junk
• Confirm you typed the email correctly
• Try verifying again to see if the TIN was created but the email failed

3) Verification shows a TIN, but a platform rejects it

Some systems require a specific validation format or an updated record.

• Fix: Use the official support route or visit the relevant tax office for reconciliation.

4) You need it urgently and the portal keeps failing

• Fix: Go to the nearest relevant tax office with your BVN details (individual) or CAC documents (business) for assisted resolution.