How to Get or Find Out Your Taxpayer Identification Number (INN)

What is an INN and why do you need one? How can an individual find out their INN online using their passport? How can you have your INN noted in your passport? What documents are needed to obtain an INN certificate, and what should you do if you lose it?

1. What is an INN and why do you need one?

A taxpayer identification number, or INN, is a 12-digit number that you (or your employer on your behalf) use to pay taxes. You will also need it to check whether you have any unpaid taxes and if you decide to register as an individual entrepreneur.

2. How can you find out your INN?

If you have forgotten or lost your INN, you can find it out:

• online, using the Federal Tax Service’s service. You will need the details from your Russian Federation citizen’s passport or another identity document
• by visiting a tax office in person. Choose a convenient tax office and book an appointment online.

3. How and where can you get an INN?

If you do not have an INN, you can apply for one:

• online, using the service on the Federal Tax Service website (use your Russian Federation public services portal account to sign in). The registration certificate, signed with the tax authority’s enhanced qualified electronic signature, will also be sent to your personal account. At your request, it can be issued in paper form;
• online through the Russian Federation public services portal;
• in person at a tax office. To do this, choose a convenient office and book an appointment online;
• at any “My Documents” public services center, regardless of your place of residence or stay in the Russian Federation;
• by mail. To do this, send the completed application to a tax office of your choice by registered mail, with an inventory of the contents and acknowledgment of receipt. You may attach notarized copies of the documents to your application (an identity document and a document confirming registration at your place of residence or stay).

4. What documents are needed to get an INN?

To get an INN, you will need:

• an application;
• a Russian Federation citizen’s passport or another document proving your identity:
• a document confirming registration at your place of residence or stay.

If your representative submits the documents, you will also need:

• a copy of your Russian Federation citizen’s passport or another document proving your identity;
• a notarized power of attorney in your representative’s name.

Your INN certificate will be ready within 5 business days after the tax office receives the documents.

5. How do you get an INN for a child?

If the child is 14 or older—which means they already have a Russian Federation citizen’s passport—the INN is obtained for them in exactly the same way as for an adult.

If the child is under 14, the application for registration must be made in the name of the child’s legal representative. You will need the child’s birth certificate and a certificate confirming their registration at their place of residence to complete the application. Children under 14 do not need to be present in person—their legal representative submits the documents and collects the completed certificate.

6. What should I do if I changed my name or lost my INN certificate?

An identification number is assigned once and remains the same even if you change your name or place of residence or are removed from the tax register—the tax office learns of all changes through interagency information exchange. So if you need your INN but have lost the certificate or changed the personal details shown on it, you can simply find out your INN online using the Federal Tax Service’s service or the Russian Federation public services portal and use it.

You can also request a duplicate INN certificate if you wish. You can do this:

• in person at a tax office or through your representative. To do this, choose a convenient office and book an appointment online. You can also submit the application in advance using the online form on the Federal Tax Service website;
• at any “My Documents” public services center, regardless of your place of residence or stay in the Russian Federation;
• by mail, sending the documents to a tax office of your choice by registered mail, with an inventory of the contents and acknowledgment of receipt.

The documents required are the same as when you first obtain an INN. Replacing an INN certificate because of a change in personal details is free of charge, but you must pay a state fee of 300 rubles for a replacement document if the original was lost.

7. How can you have your INN noted in your passport?

To have your INN noted in your passport, choose a convenient tax office and book an appointment online. You will need your passport and INN certificate. The notation will be made in your presence within 15 minutes.

Source: https://www.mos.ru/otvet-dokumenti/kak-poluchit-inn/
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