Uganda is moving ahead with plans to use the National Identification Number, or NIN, as the primary tax identifier for individuals, in a reform designed to simplify access to public services and improve the way government agencies share and verify citizen information.
The change follows Cabinet approval on 1 September 2026 and is now being implemented by the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA), working with identity data issued by the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA).
Under the new system, Ugandan citizens will no longer need to rely on a separate 10-digit Tax Identification Number for identification purposes. Instead, their NIN will become the main identifier used to access tax-related services. URA has already begun mapping taxpayers’ national identity numbers to existing tax records through direct engagement, service centres and its online portal.
The reform is intended to tackle fragmented registration systems across government and reduce the repeated collection and verification of the same personal information by different public agencies.
URA said that “a single identifier used across Government will improve service delivery and communication with taxpayers.”
The authority also expects the move to improve the accuracy of government records by linking taxpayer information more closely with NIRA data, reducing duplicate records and outdated information.
For citizens, the changes are expected to make it easier to access services including tax filing, land transactions, bank account opening and tax clearance processes. For government, the more integrated system is intended to strengthen compliance monitoring, improve revenue collection and create a more reliable picture of economic activity.
Businesses and other organisations will also move away from separate tax identifiers. Companies, partnerships and associations will instead use registration numbers issued by the Uganda Registration Services Bureau, while non-citizens may use an Alien Identification Number where available.
From 1 January 2027, taxpayers whose records have been updated will be able to access their existing tax accounts using their NIN or relevant entity registration number. Existing TIN records will remain valid, but the way taxpayers are identified and authenticated will change.
The reform represents a practical step towards greater interoperability across Uganda’s public sector, with national digital identity increasingly being used as common infrastructure for accessing government services.