As a taxpayer, you are issued a tax identification number (TIN) which you use in your dealings and transactions with the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), such as filing your income tax returns, paying your taxes, and registering a business. Oftentimes, however, we lose, forget or misplace our TIN numbers. In those cases, you may need to perform TIN verification to recover a lost or forgotten TIN.
When I got my TIN several years ago, it was simply written in a small piece of paper. There was no way to apply for a TIN online back then so I had to go to the BIR office to personally get one. I had the foresight to list down my TIN so whenever I need to provide my TIN to open a bank account, for example, I can just look it up on my smartphone.
Some of you may not be as fortunate and lost or misplaced your TIN number. Or maybe you’re an employee and you just want to know the TIN that your employer registered for you. Luckily, you can perform TIN number verification to retrieve it.
The BIR used to have an online TIN verification service but for some reason, the agency took it down. Hopefully, the BIR will make TIN verification online possible through their website in the future. There are still several other ways to verify your TIN number, either online or offline, so there’s no need to worry.
If you’re not sure whether you already have a TIN or not, or if you lost or forgot your TIN, don’t make the mistake of getting a new one. It’s against the law to possess two or more TIN numbers. It’s better to verify with the BIR to check if you already have a tax identification number.
If you don’t have a TIN yet, you can get one through the Internet. Just follow our short guide on how to get your TIN online through the BIR website.
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How to Verify Your TIN
As mentioned before, the BIR TIN online verification system is no longer working. So here are the alternative ways to verify your TIN:
Call the BIR
Dial the BIR trunkline numbers 8981-7000 or 8929-7676. Take note that these are landline numbers so they may incur airtime charges when calling from a mobile phone. Note: It seems that the old BIR hotline number 981-8888 is no longer working.
Include the area code 02 when calling from outside Metro Manila and the country code +63 when calling from outside the Philippines.
You may have to provide the following information to verify your identity with the customer service agent:
- Complete name
- Home address
- Date of birth
Email the BIR
Another way to perform TIN verification but without talking to a person is by sending an email to the BIR.
You can use the following template (edit it with your own information):
Dear BIR,
I would like to know my TIN because I lost it. Here are my personal details for verification:
Name: Juan Dela Cruz
Address: Rizal Street, Barangay Bonifacio, Manila
Date of Birth: June 12, 1990
I have attached a photo of my valid ID as proof of my identity.
Hoping for your positive response on this matter. Thank you and have a nice day.
Truly yours,
Juan Dela Cruz
Write the subject as “TIN Verification”, attach a photo or scanned copy of your valid ID, and send the email to [email protected]. The BIR usually replies in a few days, so use this TIN verification option if your query is not urgent.
Use the TIN Verifier App
The BIR has a mobile app that allows taxpayers to inquire about their TIN. All you have to do is to download the TIN Verifier mobile app from Google Play. You will have to follow the instructions on the app and provide your personal information.
One disadvantage of the TIN Verifier app is that you’ll have to wait for an agent to be available to answer your inquiry. Be sure to use the app during office hours (Monday to Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM) for a better chance to catch an agent.
Visit the BIR Office
Yet another way to verify your TIN number is to pay a visit to the nearest BIR Revenue District Office (RDO). Bring along a valid government-issued ID such as a passport or driver’s license for identification purposes.
If you want to replace a lost TIN ID, you may need to provide an Affidavit of Loss and submit a duly-accomplished BIR Form 1905.
Conclusion
As you can see, you can easily recover a lost or forgotten tax identification number through the TIN number verification process. Due to the absence of a BIR online TIN verification system, verifying or retrieving your TIN is not instantaneous. Hopefully, that will change in the future and we will update this article when an online TIN verification system is in place. For the meantime, please use the aforementioned TIN number verification methods to recover a lost, misplaced or forgotten TIN. Good luck!
