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Guide · Zambia · Published 2026-10-11

How to get a TPIN in Zambia on TaxOnline

A TPIN is 10 digits. Companies get one automatically with PACRA; everyone else applies at portal.zra.org.zm. Look up any TPIN with Taxpayer Search.

  • K ZMW
  • VAT 16%
  • TPIN
  • A4
  • English
Official siteZRA TaxOnline · portal.zra.org.zmGet a TPIN, file returns and look up any taxpayer with Taxpayer Search.

What the TPIN is

The TPIN is the number Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) assigns to a taxpayer in Zambia. It follows you across every tax you deal with: VAT, income tax and withholding. Businesses that pay you will ask for it before they release payment, because they report their suppliers to Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) by this number.

Who needs one

Every individual and every entity in receipt of income or carrying on business in Zambia must hold a TPIN. That covers incorporated companies, partnerships, sole traders, trusts, co-operatives, societies, clubs, trade unions, local authorities and statutory bodies, and NGOs and churches registered with the Registrar of Societies. A TPIN is a prerequisite for any transaction with ZRA and for registering any tax type — VAT, income tax, turnover tax, PAYE, rental tax. It is also demanded outside the tax system: you need one to open a bank account, to transact with ZESCO, and to transfer property.

How to register, step by step

  1. If you are registering a company or a business name, do PACRA first. Since 2020 the TPIN is generated automatically through the interface between PACRA's system and ZRA TaxOnline as soon as PACRA registration completes, and the credentials arrive by email. You then log in to ZRA and finish the registration. A business registered before 2020 cannot do this online — visit a ZRA office, which handles it through the back office.
  2. For everyone else, apply online at portal.zra.org.zm using the Get a TPIN link, or through TaxOnApp or TaxOnPhone. Individuals with no registration under any Act need only a copy of the National Registration Card and a sketch map of the business location.
  3. Attach what your entity type requires. A limited company: certificate of incorporation, certificate of share capital, articles of association. A registered foreign company: certificate of registration, and PACRA Form 38. A business name or partnership: PACRA certificate of registration, PACRA Form 3, the partnership deed, form TPIN 2, and a sketch map of the business address. A club, association, church or NGO: constitution, certificate of registration from the Registrar of Societies, and names and addresses of office bearers.
  4. Add the tax types you need to the same profile. Annual turnover above K5,000,000 means income tax; K5,000,000 or less means turnover tax; taxable supplies above K800,000 means VAT as well. Partnerships, mining businesses and consultancy businesses cannot use turnover tax whatever their size and register for income tax instead.
  5. Keep the profile current. ZRA requires the registered mobile number, email address and physical address on the tax profile to be accurate, and serves notices to them.

How to find or check a TPIN

ZRA runs a public Taxpayer Search at portal.zra.org.zm/searchTaxpayer — no login needed. For a supplier, the stronger check is to ask for the tax clearance certificate, which since 1 January 2025 a supplier must produce in order to be transacted with, and to scan the QR code on the invoice they give you: every Smart Invoice carries one and it verifies the invoice against ZRA.

Sources

How this guide was made

Written from published tax-authority guidance and reviewed on 2026-10-11. Everything here is indicative rather than a ruling on your circumstances, and rules change. Confirm anything you rely on with Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) before acting on it, and tell us if you find something out of date so we can correct it.

This guide explains the rules in general terms and is not tax advice for your circumstances. Confirm your position with a qualified adviser or with Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA).