No Separate TIN Needed to Operate Bank Accounts — FIRS
The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has clarified that Nigerians will not be required to obtain a separate Tax Identification Number (TIN) before opening or operating bank accounts. This follows widespread concern triggered by reports suggesting that from January 2026, bank customers would need to present a TIN as a standalone requirement. In a statement on Saturday via her official X (formerly Twitter) handle, Arabinrin Aderonke Atoyebi, Technical Assistant on Broadcast Media to the FIRS Chairman, Zacch Adedeji, dismissed the reports as misleading. “In recent debates about Nigeria’s tax reforms, a misconception has taken root: that citizens without a TIN cannot own or operate a bank account. 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 explained. How the TIN system works According […]