Uganda’s Cabinet has approved the use of the National Identification Number (NIN) issued by the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) as the Tax Identification Number (TIN) going forward.

The decision was announced by Minister of Information and National Guidance Justine Kasule Lumumba during a press briefing at the Uganda Media Centre on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, following the ninth Cabinet meeting held at State House, Entebbe.

The move is aimed at modernising Uganda’s tax registration system and improving the accuracy of taxpayer information, compliance and government revenue collection.

For years, Uganda’s tax registration system has relied on a separate, largely manual TIN-based process. Cabinet said while the system has served its purpose, it has also resulted in outdated and inconsistent taxpayer records, creating weaknesses in data accuracy, compliance and service delivery.

By adopting the NIN as the tax identification number, government intends to establish one consistent identity for every taxpayer.

The integration is expected to improve the accuracy of the taxpayer register and strengthen the government’s ability to identify and trace taxpayers.

It is also expected to enable government databases to work more effectively together, making it easier to share and match information while reducing gaps in taxpayer records.

Cabinet said the reform will help improve tax compliance and reduce revenue leakage by giving tax authorities better-quality information with which to administer the tax system.

The change is also expected to make it simpler for citizens to register for tax purposes and communicate with tax authorities.

Another expected benefit is improved visibility into taxpayers’ worldwide income, which Cabinet said will strengthen tax administration and revenue mobilisation.

The decision also forms part of a broader effort to strengthen Uganda’s national identification system and the use of integrated digital government databases.

Cabinet said establishing a single, reliable identity foundation will not only support tax administration but also help government plan and deliver programmes more effectively.

For taxpayers, the change is expected to simplify identification by bringing national identification and tax administration closer together.

However, the Cabinet announcement did not provide detailed procedures on how existing TIN records will be treated during the transition. Taxpayers should therefore wait for implementation guidance from the relevant government agencies before assuming that existing TINs have been cancelled or automatically replaced.

The success of the reform will depend on how effectively existing taxpayer records are linked with national identification information and how securely the integrated databases are managed.

The NIN-TIN decision marks a significant step in Uganda’s efforts to modernise tax administration, strengthen domestic revenue collection and build more integrated digital government services.