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Quick Answer
You can find your ZRA TPIN in under five minutes without logging in:
- Open the ZRA Tax Online portal from the official ZRA website (zra.org.zm)
- Choose the TPIN search / TPIN enquiry option on the portal’s front page
- Select Individual, enter your NRC number, and submit
- The portal displays the 10-digit TPIN registered against that NRC
Foreign nationals search with their passport number. Companies search with their PACRA registration number. If the search returns nothing, no TPIN exists for that number yet, and you should follow our TPIN registration guide instead.
The rest of this guide covers each situation in detail: forgotten TPINs, company TPINs, downloading the TPIN certificate, and what to do when the search does not work.
What a TPIN Is and Why You Are Being Asked for It
A Taxpayer Identification Number (TPIN) is the unique 10-digit number ZRA issues to every taxpayer in Zambia, individual or company. You will be asked for it when you:
- Open a bank account or apply for a loan
- Register a company or business name with PACRA
- Take a formal job (your employer needs it for PAYE)
- Buy or sell a vehicle or property
- Clear goods through customs
- Apply for a government tender or a Tax Clearance Certificate
Because it is used so widely, most adults in Zambia already have a TPIN, often issued years ago at a ZRA office, a bank or during PACRA registration. Not remembering it is normal. Registering a second TPIN is not the answer: duplicate TPINs cause problems later, so always search first.
Method 1: TPIN Search Using NRC on the ZRA Portal
This is the fastest route and works for any individual whose TPIN was registered against a Zambian NRC.
Step 1: Open Tax Online
Go to zra.org.zm and follow the link to the Tax Online portal. Type the address yourself. Fake ZRA login pages circulate on WhatsApp and Facebook, and the search you need does not require a password, so any page asking you to log in before searching should be treated with suspicion.
Step 2: Choose the TPIN search option
On the portal landing page, look for the TPIN search, TPIN enquiry or search taxpayer option. It sits outside the login, alongside registration.
Step 3: Enter your NRC number
Select the individual taxpayer type and enter your NRC number exactly as printed on the card, including the slash format (for example 123456/78/1). Leave out spaces.
Step 4: Read the result
The portal returns the TPIN and the registered name. Check the name matches yours. Write the TPIN down and store it somewhere safe; you will need it for every ZRA interaction from now on.
If the result is blank, see the troubleshooting section below before registering a new TPIN.
Method 2: Retrieve a Forgotten TPIN Through ZRA Directly
If the online search fails, or you prefer to deal with a person:
- Visit any ZRA office. Bring your NRC or passport. Staff can look up your TPIN on the spot and print a TPIN certificate if you need one.
- Call the ZRA call centre. You will be asked verification questions (full name, NRC number, date of birth, registered phone or email). The current call centre number is published on zra.org.zm.
- Check old paperwork. Your TPIN is printed on every ZRA document you have ever received: a TPIN certificate, a Tax Clearance Certificate, a return acknowledgement, a customs assessment, and often on payslips and bank KYC forms.
Method 3: Search for a Company TPIN
Companies, partnerships, NGOs and branches have their own TPIN, separate from the directors’ personal TPINs.
- Use the same TPIN search on the portal
- Select the company / non-individual option
- Enter the PACRA registration number (the incorporation number on the Certificate of Incorporation)
Companies incorporated through PACRA’s online system since 2018 are normally issued a TPIN automatically as part of registration, and the number appears in the incorporation documents. If you cannot find it, the company secretary or the agent who handled incorporation will have it.
Searching by company name is not supported as a lookup method. If you only know the name, get the registration number from PACRA’s company search first, then search ZRA with that.
How to Download Your TPIN Certificate (PDF)
Banks, employers and PACRA often ask for the TPIN certificate, not just the number. The certificate is downloaded from inside the portal, so this step does need a login.
- Log in to Tax Online with your TPIN and password
- Open the registrations area (labelled My Registrations or similar)
- Select the TPIN certificate and download it as a PDF
- Save a copy in cloud storage and print one for your files
Never activated your online account? You need to create it first, using your TPIN and the NRC or passport number and email address ZRA holds for you. Our ZRA portal guide walks through account activation, forgotten passwords and the common login errors.
Cannot get a login at all? A ZRA office will print the certificate for you on presentation of your NRC or passport.
Troubleshooting: Search Returns Nothing or the Wrong Details
| Problem | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| No TPIN found for your NRC | You have never registered, or registered against a passport or a different NRC format | Try the passport number if you have one; otherwise register for a TPIN |
| TPIN found but name is misspelt | Data entry error at registration | Visit a ZRA office with your NRC to correct the record; a mismatch will block bank KYC |
| Two TPINs for one person | Registered twice, often once at a bank and once at ZRA | Ask ZRA to merge or deactivate one. Keep the one linked to your current returns |
| Company search finds nothing | Wrong registration number or company registered before automatic TPIN issuance | Check the PACRA certificate; if the company genuinely has no TPIN, register one |
| Portal will not load | Peak-hour load or browser issue | Try another browser or off-peak hours; see the portal guide |
After You Have Your TPIN
Having a TPIN does not mean you are registered for the taxes you owe. Employers must also be registered for PAYE, businesses above K800,000 turnover for VAT, and small businesses either for turnover tax or income tax. Since September 2026, ZRA will refuse a Tax Clearance Certificate to any PACRA-registered business whose tax types do not match its activities.
- ZRA TPIN registration guide — for new registrations and the documents required
- ZRA Tax Online portal guide — logging in, filing and paying
- Tax Clearance Certificate guide — what a TCC requires and how to fix a rejection
- PAYE rates 2026 — bands and a calculator for employers
- TPIN for foreigners in Zambia — passport-based registration and what foreign-owned companies need
Registering a Business? Let M&J Do the Whole Chain
If you are looking up a TPIN because you are starting or restructuring a company, or you are a foreign investor setting up in Zambia, the TPIN is one step in a longer sequence: PACRA incorporation, company TPIN, bank account, then PAYE, VAT, NAPSA and NHIMA registration. M&J handles that entire sequence as one engagement. See our company registration service or, for foreign-owned businesses, the company registration guide for foreigners.
Need a company TPIN, PAYE or VAT registration done properly? M&J handles it.
From PACRA incorporation to TPIN, PAYE, VAT and NAPSA registration, M&J Consultants sets up new and foreign-owned businesses in Zambia so they are compliant from day one. Book a free consultation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find my TPIN number using my NRC?
Open the ZRA Tax Online portal from zra.org.zm and use the TPIN search or TPIN enquiry function. Select individual, enter your NRC number exactly as printed on the card, and the portal returns the TPIN linked to that NRC. If nothing is returned, the NRC has never been registered for a TPIN and you need to register.
Can I search for a ZRA TPIN by name?
Not reliably. ZRA's search works on the identification number the TPIN was registered against: NRC or passport for individuals, and the PACRA registration number for companies. Searching by name alone is not a supported lookup, because many taxpayers share the same name.
I have forgotten my ZRA TPIN and cannot log in. What do I do?
You do not need to log in to find your TPIN. Use the TPIN search on the portal with your NRC or passport number. Alternatively, visit any ZRA office with your NRC or passport, or call the ZRA call centre and answer the verification questions. Your TPIN also appears on any previous ZRA document, such as a TPIN certificate, tax clearance certificate or return acknowledgement.
How do I download my TPIN certificate?
Log in to Tax Online with your TPIN and password, open the registrations section (shown as My Registrations or similar) and download the TPIN certificate as a PDF. If you have never activated portal access, you must first create your online account using the TPIN and the contact details ZRA holds for you.
Is the ZRA TPIN search free?
Yes. Searching for, retrieving and downloading a TPIN is free on the ZRA portal and at ZRA offices. Anyone charging a fee to 'find' your TPIN is not acting for ZRA.
How do I search for a company's TPIN?
Use the same search function but select the company or non-individual option and enter the PACRA registration (incorporation) number. If you are a director and cannot find the company's TPIN, check the incorporation file: most companies registered after 2018 received a TPIN automatically during PACRA registration.
What if my NRC search returns no TPIN?
Then no TPIN has been registered against that NRC. Register for one, which is free and can be done online in a few days. See our TPIN registration guide. If you are sure you registered before, the TPIN may have been created against a passport, a mistyped NRC or an old-format NRC; a ZRA office can check the record.