also called TIN · tax number · NIF · NIE tax · tax ID
A number a country issues to identify you for tax purposes.
A tax identification number is a number a country issues to identify you for tax. You often need one well before you actually owe any tax there, because it gets asked for when you open a bank account, sign a lease, or get paid locally. So think of it less as a tax bill and more as a key that ordinary systems demand before they will deal with you.
You arrive expecting to sort taxes later and just get set up first, then find the bank and the landlord both want your local tax number before anything moves. You are not being taxed yet, but without the number you are stuck at the first step.
You often need one to open a bank account, sign a lease or get paid in a country, even before you owe tax there.
The difference is the whole point, so here is each one in a line.
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