Everything you need to know about Tax Identification Numbers, CRS and FATCA obligations — answered clearly.
A TIN (Tax Identification Number) is a unique set of numbers and/or characters issued by a country's tax authority to identify its residents for tax purposes. The exact format varies by country — for example, the UK uses a 10-digit Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR), while Germany uses an 11-digit Steueridentifikationsnummer.
Your Tax ID Number can be found in various country documents such as your Passport or National ID Card. It may also appear on tax correspondence, payslips, or official letters from your tax authority. If you are unsure, contact your local tax authority directly — they can confirm the correct TIN for your country of tax residency.
A Tax ID Number (TIN) is required if your Country of Tax Residency — under the Common Reporting Standard (CRS) — issues a TIN to its residents. Banks and financial institutions worldwide are legally obliged to collect and validate the Tax Residency and TIN information of their customers as part of their CRS and FATCA compliance obligations.
You can contact your Tax Authority directly to find out what your relevant TIN is. A Legal Advisor or tax professional can also provide support. In some countries, the TIN is the same as your national ID or social security number. Use our free TIN Validator to check the correct format for your country once you have your number.
Yes. Banks and financial institutions across the world are now obliged to gather the Tax Residency information of their customers as part of their obligations under the CRS (Common Reporting Standard). Failure to provide this information may result in your account being reported under the undocumented status or restrictions being placed on your account.
The Common Reporting Standard (CRS) is an OECD-led initiative regarding the Tax Residency of Individuals and Legal Persons. Over 100 countries have signed up to the CRS. On a yearly basis, Tax Residency information is shared between signatory countries as part of their Exchange of Information agreements, helping tax authorities identify undeclared foreign income and assets.
FATCA (Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act) is a US law requiring foreign financial institutions to report accounts held by US persons to the IRS. CRS is the global equivalent, covering over 100 countries. Both require financial institutions to collect and validate TINs — FATCA focuses specifically on US taxpayers, while CRS covers all participating countries.
Use our free TIN Validator tool on the homepage. Simply select the country and enter the TIN — the tool instantly checks whether the format matches the official pattern for that country. We cover all 27 EU member states plus 27 additional countries including the UK, USA, Australia, India, Singapore, UAE and more.
Our validator covers 54 countries across 5 regions: all 27 EU member states, plus the UK, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Albania, Bosnia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine, USA, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Singapore, India, China, South Korea, Hong Kong, UAE, and South Africa. See full coverage →
Validating TINs at the point of data entry catches errors immediately, before they propagate into annual CRS/FATCA reporting cycles.
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