The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has clarified that Nigerians are not
required to obtain a separate Tax Identification Number (TIN) before operating
or opening bank accounts.
The clarification followed widespread reports suggesting that, from January 2026, citizens would need to present a TIN to access banking services—a claim that sparked public concern over the possibility of new bureaucratic hurdles.
Reacting to the controversy, the Technical Assistant on Broadcast Media to the
FIRS Chairman, Aderonke Atoyebi, said the reports were misleading.
In a statement posted on her official X handle, she explained that the TIN
framework has been designed to integrate with existing national registries such
as the National Identification Number (NIN) and Corporate Affairs Commission
(CAC) records. “In recent debates about Nigeria’s tax reforms, a widespread
misconception has taken root: that citizens without a TIN cannot own or
operate a bank account. “The reality is that Nigeria’s tax system has evolved
to integrate seamlessly with existing national registries, ensuring that every
eligible individual or entity is automatically identifiable for tax purposes,” she
wrote.
According to her, the TIN is a 13-digit identifier uniquely capturing details of
taxable persons and entities. It encodes information such as issuance year,
registry source (NIN for individuals, RC for companies), state of registration, and
a cryptographic security fragment.
Source: https://guardian.ng/business-services/tin-not-needed-to-operate-
bank-accounts-firs/