How to Verify Lost or Forgotten TIN (Taxpayer Identification Number): 5 Easy Ways

Last Updated on 03/05/2020

There will be instances when you’ll be asked to provide your TIN (Taxpayer Identification Number), like applying for a job, opening a bank account, or signing up for an investment account with a stockbroker platform.

What do you do in such a situation if you already have a TIN but can’t remember it?

One of the things you should avoid is to apply for a new TIN because the law forbids it. The TIN issued to you is your lifetime number that cannot be replaced.

Instead, you may try the different ways to recover your lost or forgotten TIN.

Disclaimer: This article is for general information only and is not substitute for professional advice.

Go back to the main article: Tax in the Philippines: An Ultimate Guide to Filing and Paying Taxes    

1. Check your TIN card, company ID, ITR, or other documents.

The first thing to check when you can’t recall your TIN is your TIN card that bears this number.

What if you lost your TIN card, too? You may find your TIN in other documents that indicate it. These could be your company ID, income tax return (ITR), or invoices.

2. Verify with your employer.

Contact your current or previous employer to request your TIN. The HR or admin department of the company you’re working for keeps your employment records, including your TIN. So for sure, they can help you retrieve your forgotten TIN.

3. Call the BIR hotlines.

If the first two methods of retrieving your TIN didn’t work, you’ll need to request it directly from the BIR.

Here are the BIR numbers to call for recovering your TIN:

• Trunkline: 8981-7000 / 8929-7676
• Customer Assistance Division: 8981-7003 / 8981-7020 / 8981-7030 / 8981-7040 / 8981-7046

Before speaking with a customer service agent, be ready with your details that might be asked for verifying your identity such as full name, address, and birthdate.

4. Send an email inquiry to the BIR.

If the need to recover your TIN isn’t that urgent or you can’t get through the BIR hotlines, you can inquire about your TIN through email.

Email your TIN verification request, along with your complete name, address, and birthdate, to [email protected]

Typically, a BIR customer service representative replies in a few days to TIN-related inquiries.

5. Visit the BIR RDO.

If the RDO where you applied for a TIN is near your home or office, your best option is to go there to personally request for TIN number verification.

Proceed to the Taxpayers’ General Services or Customer Service counter and present your valid ID or birth certificate for identity verification.

Go back to the main article: How to Get TIN Number in the Philippines (2 Easy Ways)

About the Authors.

Miguel Dar is a CPA and an experienced tax consultant who specializes in tax audits. He provides tax advice to various start-up enterprises and clarified tax concerns of individual taxpayers. This includes assisting clients in registering their businesses, tax and bookkeeping training for start-up businesses, settling open cases, tax planning for future tax compliance and answering tax-related inquiries. Connect with him on Linkedin.

Venus Zoleta is an experienced writer and editor for nearly 15 years, covering topics on personal finance, travel, government services, and digital marketing. Her background is in journalism and public relations. In her early 20s, she started investing and purchased a home. Now, she advocates financial literacy for Filipinos and shares her knowledge online. When she’s not working, Venus bonds with her pet cats and plans her next travel adventure.