How many digits is a Nigerian TIN?

The modern Joint Tax Board (JTB) Tax Identification Number is 10 digits. A legacy format used by some state revenue services is written as 8 digits, a hyphen, then 4 digits (e.g. 01234567-0001).

Does this tool confirm the TIN is registered?

No. It only validates the format and structure. To confirm a TIN is active and matches a taxpayer, use the official FIRS TIN verification portal. This tool performs no lookup.

What is the hyphen in a Nigerian TIN?

In the legacy state format the hyphen separates an 8-digit base number from a 4-digit branch or sequence code. The unified JTB TIN is a plain 10-digit number with no hyphen.

Can a TIN contain letters?

No. A valid Nigerian TIN is numeric only. Any letter or non-digit character (other than a single grouping hyphen) makes the number invalid.

Is my TIN sent anywhere?

No. The structure check runs entirely in your browser. The TIN never leaves your device.

Nigeria TIN Validator

A Tax Identification Number (TIN) is the unique number the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and the Joint Tax Board (JTB) issue to every taxpayer in Nigeria. You need it for e-filing, opening business accounts, and government procurement. This validator confirms a TIN is well-formed before you trust it on a document.

How it works

The tool recognises two valid structures:

Unified JTB TIN — exactly 10 numeric digits with no separators, e.g. 1234567890.
Legacy state format — 8 digits, a hyphen, then 4 digits, e.g. 01234567-0001. The hyphen separates the base number from a branch or sequence code.

The check:

Strips surrounding whitespace.
Rejects any character that is not a digit or a single grouping hyphen.
Confirms the digit count matches one of the two accepted patterns.

If the input passes, the TIN is structurally valid. The tool also normalises the number (digits only) so you can see the canonical 10-digit value.

Example

1234567890 → 10 digits, no separators → valid (JTB format).
01234567-0001 → 8 + hyphen + 4 → valid (legacy state format).
12345 → only 5 digits → invalid (too short).

Notes

A valid format does not mean the TIN is registered or belongs to a particular taxpayer — only the official FIRS verification portal can confirm that. This is a privacy-first structure check; nothing is sent to any server.