The TIN – making format checks to type it into your reports exactly right

TIN (Tax Identification Number) is a code number that identifies the taxpayer.

Finns have no TIN numbers. Instead:

• The taxpayer identifier for individuals is the personal identity code
• The taxpayer identifier for corporate taxpayers is the Business ID

It may be part of your duties to provide information to the Tax Administration on foreign individual and corporate taxpayers (when you gather facts for your annual information reports, for other tax-related filings, or for other reports). When you do so, please make sure that all your TIN entries are made exactly as they should be.

You can check the format of a foreign-issued TIN (such as an ID code of an individual taxpayer) with the TIN online check (TIN on-the-Web). This is a service free-of-charge. However, you cannot use TIN on-the-Web to verify somebody’s identity, nor to make sure that the string of numbers/letters really exists as a code number, nor whether the string/code was ever issued by the country in question.

The website is multi-lingual with 22 language options. It also provides additional information about the identifiers used in different countries. 

If you need to verify an identifier of a Finnish corporation, organisation, or other body, visit the Business Information System website: ytj.fi (in English)