Approximately four million eligible Sri Lankans have yet to obtain a Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), the Inland Revenue Department disclosed today, despite registration now being mandatory under the new tax law.
The Department said more than 13 million people have already been issued TINs. Because every individual aged 18 or above is now required to register, about 17 million Sri Lankans fall within the regime, leaving the four-million gap that the IRD has flagged for compliance attention.
Under the Inland Revenue (Amendment) Act, No. 11 of 2026 — certified by the Speaker earlier this month — a TIN is now compulsory for a range of routine financial and administrative transactions. These include opening bank accounts, registering and renewing motor vehicles, registering a business, transferring company shares and applying for credit cards.
The IRD also confirmed a policy change announced when the bill was passed: under the new provisions, the TIN will no longer be treated as confidential information, opening the way for administrative use of the number across regulators and government departments.
The compliance gap surfaces just weeks after Parliament approved the Amendment Bill on May 19, and follows IRD warnings about false TIN registrations as the mandatory regime took effect. The Department earlier signalled that the 2025/26 income-tax filing season opens in July, making the next several weeks a key window for registrations.
Source: Ada Derana — Around 4 million yet to obtain TIN despite mandatory requirement: IRD.
