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Sri Lanka: TIN certificate required for specified transactions beginning November 1, 2026

New guidance provides procedures for verifying taxpayer identification numbers and confirms the transactions subject to the requirement.

September 30, 2026

The Inland Revenue Department (IRD) on September 22, 2026, issued Notice No. SEC/PN/IT/2026/05 and Circular No. SEC/2026/E/07 concerning the requirement to have a valid taxpayer identification number (TIN) certificate before carrying out specified transactions.

The requirement was introduced by the Inland Revenue (Amendment) Act No. 11 of 2026, under which responsible officials were to request the TIN certificate effective April 1, 2026. The notice and circular provide that the requirement will instead apply beginning November 1, 2026.

Transactions subject to the TIN certificate requirement include:

  • Opening a bank account
  • Registering or renewing a license for a motor vehicle
  • Registering land or a business
  • Transferring shares
  • Obtaining a credit card
  • Obtaining approval for a building plan

Resident individuals who were age 18 or older as of December 31, 2023, or who turned age 18 on or after January 1, 2024, are required to obtain a TIN.

The IRD e-Services portal now allows TIN verification. A printout from the portal displaying the individual's national identity card (NIC) number and TIN may be accepted in place of the TIN certificate.

Read a September 2026 report prepared by the KPMG member firm in Sri Lanka

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