Uganda’s Cabinet has approved the use of the National Identification Number (NIN) issued by the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) as the country’s official Tax Identification Number (TIN) going forward.
According to a Cabinet communication, the decision is intended to replace the separate, largely manual TIN-based tax registration system, which government says has been affected by outdated and inconsistent records.
The government says adopting the NIN as the tax identification number will create one consistent identity for every taxpayer, improving the accuracy of the taxpayer register and strengthening the ability of tax authorities to identify and track taxpayers.
Cabinet says the integration will also enable government systems to work more effectively together, improve tax compliance and help reduce revenue leakage.
The move is further expected to make it easier for citizens to register with and communicate with tax authorities.
According to the communication, linking taxpayers to a unified national identity system will also give government greater visibility into worldwide income, potentially strengthening tax administration and revenue collection.
The Cabinet described the decision as part of efforts to build a single and reliable identity foundation that can help government plan and deliver public programmes more effectively.
The NIN decision marks a major shift in Uganda’s tax administration, bringing national identification and taxation under a single identity system.
