How to Verify TIN Number if Lost or Forgotten: An Ultimate Guide

Wondering how to verify TIN number quickly? You’ve come to the right article!

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 applying 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 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    

Table of Contents

• Watch Video: How To Verify TIN Number Online
• How To Verify TIN Through BIR’s Digital Assistant Chatbot, Revie
• How To Recover TIN Number (Lost or Forgotten) Online Using the BIR Mobile TIN Verifier App (Currently Unavailable)
  • 1. Install the TIN Verifier Mobile Application on Your Mobile Device
  • 2. Open the App and Read the Privacy Policy. Click Proceed
  • 3. Select the TIN VERIFIER Button
  • 4. Read the Disclaimer and Click Proceed
  • 5. Select TIN INQUIRY
  • 6. Provide the Requested Information in Order
  • 7. Wait for a BIR Representative To Process Your Request in Real-Time
• Tips To Remember When Using the TIN Verifier Mobile Application
• Other Ways To Recover Your Lost or Forgotten TIN Number
  • 1. Check your TIN card, company ID, ITR, or other documents
  • 2. Verify with your employer
  • 3. Call the BIR hotlines
  • 4. Send an email inquiry to the BIR
  • 5. Visit the BIR RDO
• References

 

Watch Video: How To Verify TIN Number Online

 

How To Verify TIN Through BIR’s Digital Assistant Chatbot, Revie

On Nov. 10, 2022, through Revenue Memorandum Circular (RMC) 146-2022¹, BIR launched the new and improved Revie, the agency’s digital assistant chatbot. Accessible via BIR’s official website, Revie can help you verify or validate any TIN (taxpayer identification number), find any Revenue District Office (RDO), and file complaints electronically against business establishments for tax evasion, non-issuance of receipts/invoices, and other violations of Tax Code provisions.

To verify your TIN with the help of Revie, follow these steps:

1. Go to BIR’s official website at bir.gov.ph
2. Click the animated chatbot icon at the bottom right corner of the homepage.
3. Wait for Revie to present all the available options, then select TIN Inquiry.
4. Fill out the online form with your name, gender, and birthdate. Click Submit Form once you’re done.
5. Wait for an agent to respond to your request shortly. Make sure to prepare one government-issued valid ID for verification.

Note: BIR agents can process your request from 8 AM to 5 PM, Mondays to Fridays (excluding holidays, non-working days, and work suspension).

How To Recover TIN Number (Lost or Forgotten) Online Using the BIR Mobile TIN Verifier App (Currently Unavailable)

In early 2021, the Bureau of Internal Revenue launched the Mobile Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) Verifier app² to provide taxpayers with a convenient way to recover or verify their TINs.

Instead of personally going to BIR district offices, taxpayers can get real-time responses to their TIN-related inquiries at their fingertips. Available in both App Store (for IOS users) and Google Play (for Android smartphone users), the tax verifier app can help you complete the following transactions:

• TIN Inquiry – to recover your lost or forgotten TIN, the app will ask about your details (i.e., name, birth date, etc.). It will also require you to take a selfie with a valid government-issued ID and upload a copy for verification purposes.
• TIN Validation – to confirm whether a TIN is authentic, the app will require you to input your TIN and personal details (i.e., name, birth date, address, marital status, and spouse name, if applicable). Likewise, it will ask you to take a selfie with a valid government-issued ID and upload a copy.

To recover your TIN via the new BIR Tax Verifier app, follow these steps:

1. Install the TIN Verifier Mobile Application on Your Mobile Device

You can download the mobile app via Google Playstore or App Store. You can also scan the QR code to download the app.

2. Open the App and Read the Privacy Policy. Click Proceed

3. Select the TIN VERIFIER Button

4. Read the Disclaimer and Click Proceed

Take note of what’s written on the disclaimer. It says that the app can only assist individual taxpayers as of this time. Also, the app can only provide assistance on weekdays, Monday to Friday, from 8 AM to 5 PM. Any queries sent during weekends or holidays will be processed on the next business/working day.

5. Select TIN INQUIRY

If you have an existing TIN and want to check its authenticity, then choose TIN VALIDATION instead.

6. Provide the Requested Information in Order

In the chat/message box provided, input (in exact order) your first name, middle name, last name, birth date, address, civil status, spouse name (if applicable), a selfie of you together with a valid government-issued ID, and then a separate photo of the same ID.

If you have selected TIN Validation instead, you will be required to provide the TIN with the required information we have mentioned.

7. Wait for a BIR Representative To Process Your Request in Real-Time

You should receive a response within a few minutes. If there’s no chat agent available, you might have to wait for a few minutes or hours.

 

Tips To Remember When Using the TIN Verifier Mobile Application

• Observe patience when using the app. Since the limited number of agents are dealing with many users eager to verify their TIN numbers, it may take a while before somebody responds to your request.
• Let the app open for at least 10 minutes while waiting for the next available agent. Don’t disconnect from the internet or open other apps; otherwise, your app connection will be cut short, and you’ll start all over again.
• Use the service at the earliest time possible. The TIN verification service via this app is only available on weekdays, from 8 AM to 5 PM. Make sure to open the app early in the morning. Some users reportedly opened the app for 10-15 minutes before 8 AM, then patiently waited until it was 7:59 AM before clicking the TIN Validation or TIN Inquiry button. By following this strategy, you will be ahead of the queue and most likely get your TIN verified relatively quicker.
• Although the mobile app is encouraged, BIR still entertains walk-in TIN validation and inquiries at the taxpayers’ respective RDOs.

 

Other Ways To Recover Your Lost or Forgotten TIN Number

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 which 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’d need to request it directly from the BIR.

Here are the BIR numbers to call to recover your TIN:

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

Don’t forget to dial the area code 02 before the numbers (e.g., 0289817000) if you’re calling outside Metro Manila or the country code +63 when calling from another country.

Before speaking with a customer service agent, be ready with the details that might be asked for to verify 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]

To help you save time, you can use the following template:

Good day!

I would like to request your assistance in retrieving my Tax Identification Number (TIN). I have forgotten it and will need it for (state the purpose). Here are my personal details:

Complete Name:

Birthdate:

Gender:

Residence Address: (please include your Zip Code)

Looking forward to your positive response on this matter.

Thank you and regards,

(Your complete name)

Make sure to write “TIN Verification” in your subject line so the recipient will know immediately the purpose of your email.

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 request TIN verification personally.

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)

 

References

1. Tax Notes: Availability of TIN verification/validation, RDO finder and eComplaint facility in BIR chatbot (Revie). (2022, December 06). Retrieved December 31, 2022, from https://ph.news.yahoo.com/tax-notes-availability-tin-verification-094200331.html
2. BIR has TIN verifier app for taxpayers. (2021). Retrieved 15 March 2021, from https://www.ptvnews.ph/bir-has-tin-verifier-app-for-taxpayers/