How to Register for a TIN in Sri Lanka (Online)

Do you need a TIN?

You need a TIN if any of these apply:

• Your income exceeds Rs 1.8M/year and salary isn’t your only income
• You are self-employed, freelancing, or running a business
• You want to file a return, claim a refund, or use IRD e-services
• A bank, employer, or government process asks for it — and since 1 January 2024, every individual aged 18 or over is required to register for a TIN (s.102), with a penalty of up to Rs 50,000 for not registering

Not sure whether you’ll owe tax at all? The rules on who pays income tax in Sri Lanka take two minutes to read.

What you need before you start

• National Identity Card (NIC) — or passport for foreign nationals
• A working mobile number and email address (the IRD sends your credentials here)
• If registering a business: business registration certificate

Registering online, step by step

1. Go to the IRD e-services portal at www.ird.gov.lk → e-Services → Access to e-Services and choose Taxpayer Registration.
2. Select Individual — Local and fill in your NIC number, name, address, and contact details exactly as they appear on your NIC.
3. Choose the tax types to register for. For most individuals this is Income Tax (IIT).
4. Upload your NIC images (front and back).
5. Submit. You’ll receive an acknowledgment; your TIN certificate and a one-time PIN are sent to the email address you registered (postal delivery is also available).
6. Once you have the PIN, activate your e-services account — you’ll use this same login to file your return.

Prefer to do it in person? Visit the IRD Primary Registration Unit at the head office (Sir Chittampalam A. Gardiner Mawatha, Colombo 02) or any regional office with your NIC.

How to find an existing TIN

There’s no public self-service TIN lookup. If you think you were registered before (for example by an employer or a bank process), don’t register again — call the IRD call centre on 1944, or visit the Primary Registration Unit or any regional office with your NIC and ask them to trace it.