Seychelles Tax Identification Number for Non-Residents

Tax Identification in Seychelles: What a Foreign Owner Needs to KnowCopy link to section

A Tax ID in Seychelles, known formally as the Tax Identification Number (TIN), is the single reference the Seychelles Revenue Commission uses to track every taxpayer's filings and payments. The number is mandatory for domestic companies and, following reforms cemented by the Business Tax (Amendment) Act 2025, for every International Business Company as well.

This concerns any foreign owner, director, or investor connected to a Seychelles entity, whether the company trades locally or holds assets offshore. The pages below explain what the number is, who must hold one, how it is issued, and how it functions for banking and cross-border reporting.

It is most relevant to non-resident owners of an IBC and to advisers preparing a company for incorporation, account opening, or compliance review.

Does Seychelles Issue a Tax Identification Number? The TIN ExplainedCopy link to section

Seychelles issues a TIN as a unique identifier for both individuals and entities, used across all tax payments and printed on the Business Activity Statement (BAS) lodged with monthly remittances. The Revenue Commission is the only body able to generate one.

Taxation here falls mainly on businesses rather than individuals. Employee income tax runs through employer withholding under the employer's TIN, so staff do not receive a personal number of their own.

Holding a TIN does not by itself create a local tax charge. Income and profits sourced abroad remain outside the net under a 0% territorial policy, and the number serves an administrative function rather than signalling liability.

Once registration completes, the taxpayer receives a TIN letter. Every official document the Commission produces, from assessment notices to audit completion letters, carries a dedicated field for the number.

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Who Must Obtain a Seychelles TINCopy link to section

Any new business that begins trading must register and secure a TIN within 28 days. This applies to domestic companies, sole traders, and any IBC earning Seychelles-sourced income.

Employers carry a second duty: each employee must be registered within 7 days of hiring, for social contribution purposes under the employer's number. Tax-resident individuals and citizens required to file personal income tax also obtain a TIN.

Since 2019, even an IBC with no local-source income has been eligible to apply, provided it keeps its accounting records in Seychelles. From 2026, the Registrar must maintain a record of each company's tax identification status, an obligation absent in comparable centres such as the British Virgin Islands or the Cayman Islands.

Format and Structure of the Seychelles Tax Identification NumberCopy link to section

The TIN is a 9-digit number, randomly generated by an algorithm that also satisfies a built-in checksum. Each one is distinct to a single taxpayer.

There is no separate type for individuals versus companies; the same format applies to all. Once a business ceases operations, its number is retired and never reissued to another party.

No external checksum digits are displayed for validation; the nine digits alone identify the holder. The format specification appears in the OECD CRS TIN guidance for Seychelles, last updated 30 May 2023.

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How and Where to Apply for a TIN with the Seychelles Revenue CommissionCopy link to section

Registration must be completed within 28 days of commencing trade. The Commission reviews each application with its supporting documents and allocates a number within 24 hours of a complete and successful submission. There are no fees.

For most applicants the routes are direct:

• Individuals apply online through the eGov TIN portal.
• Domestic businesses apply online through the same portal or in person at the SRC office.
• An IBC cannot apply directly; the application must go through the company's licensed Seychelles registered agent, who lodges the IBC Registration Form on the company's behalf.

The Advisory Centre, on the second floor of Maison Collet in Victoria, handles general tax queries. A TIN lookup tool on the Commission's website confirms whether a given number is valid.

Documents Required for a TIN ApplicationCopy link to section

Requirements depend on the applicant. Individuals provide a national identity card (citizens) or passport (foreigners) together with proof of residence such as a utility bill or lease.

Businesses and domestic companies submit a wider set:

• Copy of the business licence, where applicable, issued by the Seychelles Licensing Authority, the Financial Services Authority, or another competent body.
• The company or partnership registration certificate from the Registrar of Companies.
• Business address documentation, such as a lease or utility bill.
• Identification documents for the business owner or owners.

A separate requirement applies to a non-resident director or beneficial owner, who must supply proof of their home-country TIN under the 2026 Registrar rule. A government-issued tax identification card, an official registration certificate, or a recent tax-payment receipt showing the person's full name and number is accepted.

All paperwork must be in English, with a certified translation where the original is in another language. The tax ID proof does not need notarisation; a clear copy or scan is enough.

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TIN vs Company Registration Number vs Social Security NumberCopy link to section

A foreign owner will encounter several identifiers, and they are not interchangeable. The TIN sits alongside the Business Registration Number (BRN), which the Financial Services Authority issues; both appear in the eGov lookup portal, and a trading company needs both.

The country runs two company types: IBCs, registered under the IBC Act 2016 for holding and investment activity and subject to economic substance rules since the 2021 reforms; and domestic companies trading locally, which hold both a BRN and a TIN. A blank TIN search may simply indicate a pure offshore IBC rather than a domestic firm.

There is no separate social security number issued to individuals. Employer contributions are administered through the Social Protection Agency under the employer's TIN, which keeps the social system distinct from the tax identifier. A blank VAT registration date in the portal means the entity is below the SCR 5 million threshold and not VAT-registered, which is ordinary.

What the Seychelles TIN Is Used For: Filing, Banking and Self-CertificationCopy link to section

Every tax payment runs through the TIN, which appears on the Business Activity Statement lodged monthly with the Commission. All official correspondence, including assessments, reminders, and audit letters, references the number.

In banking, the TIN carries weight under the Common Reporting Standard. Banks must identify customers whose tax residence and asset location differ, and the Seychelles number provides the entity identifier that meets this Know Your Client requirement.

Where an IBC holds a TIN issued for business-activity purposes, that number is supplied to the bank. If the Commission has not issued one, a Certificate of Tax Residence is the accepted alternative. The same number goes on entity self-certification forms for CRS and FATCA submitted to financial institutions.

Deadlines carry teeth. Late lodgement of the Business Activity Statement triggers a 15% penalty on the outstanding tax plus daily interest, and withholding tax on employee emoluments must be remitted within 21 days after each month's end.

TINs and Information Exchange Obligations for Non-Resident OwnersCopy link to section

Seychelles has committed to the OECD Common Reporting Standard and sits in the earliest cohort, having undertaken its first exchanges by 2017. For a non-resident owner, this is the central point: anonymous structures are no longer viable.

Local financial institutions collect the home-country TIN of foreign account holders, not the Seychelles number, and report it to the Commission. The Commission then exchanges that data annually with the relevant home-country tax authorities. The information shared includes the account holder's name, address, TIN, date and place of birth, and account balance.

Seychelles is also covered by FATCA, so institutions holding accounts of US persons report to the IRS, directly or through an intergovernmental agreement. The specific IGA model can be confirmed through the US Treasury listing. The Commission acts as competent authority for these international obligations.

Practical Considerations and Common Pitfalls for Foreign ApplicantsCopy link to section

Several recurring issues catch non-resident owners during a TIN application:

• An IBC must apply through its licensed registered agent, never directly with the Commission.
• The 24-hour turnaround is conditional on good standing and on accounting records being kept at the registered office in Seychelles.
• An IBC existing only for banking, with no genuine activity, may be refused direct TIN issuance; a Certificate of Tax Residence is offered instead, a frequently reported friction point.
• A foreign director must now supply proof of their home-country TIN to satisfy the Registrar's record-keeping rule.
• The 28-day registration deadline is statutory; missing it risks penalties.

A TIN does not create a tax charge on foreign-source income, so a company without local business activity takes on no liability by registering. VAT registration is a separate matter, triggered only above the SCR 5 million turnover threshold. Documentation must be in English with certified translations where needed, though the tax ID proof itself requires no notarisation, and the Commission's online tool verifies any number against its trade name or BRN.

ConclusionCopy link to section

For most foreign owners the Seychelles TIN is an administrative identifier rather than a tax burden, since holding one does not disturb the 0% position on foreign-source income. The practical work lies in the procedure: an IBC files through its registered agent, accounting records must sit in Seychelles, and the home-country TIN of foreign directors now forms part of the Registrar's file. Banking and CRS reporting make the number a routine condition of operating, and the days of anonymous offshore structures have closed. Treat registration as a standard compliance step, build it into the incorporation timeline, and the 24-hour turnaround follows once the file is complete.

How Expanship Can Help Your Business in SeychellesCopy link to section

Expanship manages the full TIN process for foreign-owned entities, acting as the licensed registered agent that lodges an IBC's application with the Revenue Commission and assembling the supporting file, including a director's home-country tax proof. The same team handles the wider needs of a company operating from outside the country.

• Company formation, including IBC and domestic structures
• Registered agent and registered office services
• Tax registration and ongoing filing with the Revenue Commission
• Compliance management, including economic substance and Registrar record-keeping
• Accounting and bookkeeping maintained to local standards
• Introductions to banking partners for corporate accounts

To discuss your registration or compliance position, contact Expanship Seychelles.

Frequently Asked QuestionsCopy link to section