NASSAU, BAHAMAS: The Department of Inland Revenue will launch its new One Tax Bahamas digital platform on September 1, introducing a single identification number that will eventually allow taxpayers to access and manage all of their tax obligations through one portal.
Shunda Strachan, the tax agency’s controller said the new system will replace the department’s fragmented approach, under which value-added tax and business licence services are handled through the One Tax Administration System, while real property tax and other services operate on separate platforms.
“One Tax Bahamas officially launches to you, the Bahamian people, on the 1st of September,” Strachan said.
The first phase of the rollout will focus on registration for a new 10-digit Bahamas Identification Number (BIN). Taxpayers will be required to obtain a BIN before registering for other taxes and accessing services through the portal.
Strachan explained that the BIN will serve as an overarching identification number, allowing individuals and businesses to manage real property tax, VAT, business licences and other government-related transactions.
The number will also be required for the importation of goods and is expected to serve as the government’s vendor identification number for people and businesses receiving payments from the government.
“If it is payments coming in from the Treasury, or if it is to manage your real property tax, or if you have businesses that you need to manage, you will do so with the one number, the BIN,” Strachan said.
The existing Tax Identification Number (TIN) will not immediately disappear. Strachan said it will remain the unique identifier for VAT, while the new BIN will provide access to a broader range of tax information and services.
“The Tax Identification Number will still be there. It will still sit as your unique identifier for value-added tax, but the Bahamas Identification Number will be all-encompassing,” she said.
The system will be rolled out in phases to give taxpayers and Inland Revenue employees time to become familiar with the new platform.
BIN registration begins on September 1, while the business licence and VAT modules are expected to be introduced in November. The real property tax module is scheduled to come online next year.
Businesses will continue filing their fourth-quarter VAT returns through the existing system, while filings for the first quarter of 2027 and beyond will be processed through One Tax Bahamas.
Strachan said businesses will need their BIN for the 2027 business licence renewal period and urged taxpayers not to wait until the deadline to register.
“There’s no need for panic because we have started early,” she said. “BIN registration, like I said, starts September 1, but really, you’re going to need your BIN for the upcoming 2027 business licence renewal period. So, we’re saying to people, come in early, start early.”
The new platform will operate on an Oracle tax suite, consistent with the government’s ongoing migration of its payroll and expenditure systems.
The BIN will contain 10 digits, compared with the nine-digit TIN, and will include information identifying the type of entity registered, such as an individual, nonprofit organisation, company or government agency.
Individuals and incorporated businesses will require separate BINs. However, Strachan said the system will allow the department to link an individual taxpayer with the companies or properties connected to that person.
She said the portal should also be better equipped to handle heavy online traffic, particularly during the annual business licence renewal period, when taxpayers have previously reported challenges accessing the existing system.
“That’s another reason we’re moving to a new platform. We should see improvements. Our taxpayers will see improvements in how the system handles the volume of taxpayers interacting with the system,” Strachan said.
Training sessions and online tutorials will be provided to guide taxpayers through the registration process.
