NIF by country: what the tax ID is called and how to find it
NIF is the generic term used in Brazil for a tax identification number, but the name changes by country. In the United States, the company identifier is usually EIN; in Italy, it is Partita IVA or Codice Fiscale; in Portugal, it is NIF or NIPC. Knowing the local name is the first step to finding the right number.
Key takeaways
NIF is a generic label, not a single global format.
Many countries use different identifiers for company registration and VAT.
Some tax IDs are public, while others are not openly searchable.
For REINF, the correct number depends on the supplier’s country and legal status.
Why does NIF by country matter?
NIF by country matters because tax reporting depends on the identifier that exists in the supplier’s jurisdiction. A company may have one number for registration and another for VAT. If the wrong identifier is used, validation can fail, and the payment record may need correction before declaration.
This page solves the first half of the problem: the name and common format of the tax identification number in each country. The second half is finding the number for a specific company when it is not public. For that, the next step is to check how to find the NIF of a foreign supplier.
NIF by country is especially relevant when a Brazilian company needs to report cross-border services. The right identifier helps the finance and tax teams align supplier records, validate documents, and reduce back-and-forth with vendors.
What is NIF by country?
NIF by country is the local tax identifier used to recognize a company for fiscal purposes. The label changes from one jurisdiction to another, but the function is similar: it links the business to tax records, VAT systems, or national registries.
In practice, the same supplier may appear under different names depending on the country. The United States uses EIN for employers. Italy uses Partita IVA for VAT and Codice Fiscale for broader tax identification. Spain uses NIF and often VAT validation through VIES. The key is to match the country with the correct label before searching.
For Brazilian teams, the safest approach is to treat NIF by country as a translation problem first and a validation problem second. Once the local name is known, the next step is to confirm whether the number is public, partially public, or only available through official validation systems.
How do the main countries name the tax ID?
The table below gives a practical reference for company identifiers in major jurisdictions. It is a starting point, not a substitute for validation. Some countries have more than one identifier, and some numbers are easier to verify than others.
Country | Company tax ID name | Common abbreviation | Public / validation note |
|---|---|---|---|
Portugal | Número de Identificação Fiscal | NIF / NIPC | Partially public; valid in official records |
United States | Employer Identification Number | EIN | Not public; difficult to obtain |
Italy | Partita IVA / Codice Fiscale | P.IVA | VAT can be validated via VIES |
Spain | Número de Identificación Fiscal | NIF / CIF | VAT can be validated via VIES |
France | SIREN / SIRET; VAT number | SIREN / TVA | SIREN is public; VAT via VIES |
Germany | Steuernummer / USt-IdNr. | USt-IdNr. | VAT via VIES |
United Kingdom | VAT number / Unique Taxpayer Reference | VAT / UTR | VAT can be validated on HMRC portals |
Netherlands | BTW-nummer / RSIN | BTW / RSIN | VAT via VIES |
Ireland | VAT number / Tax Reference Number | VAT / TRN | VAT via VIES |
Canada | Business Number | BN | Partially public |
Mexico | Registro Federal de Contribuyentes | RFC | Valid in SAT |
Argentina | Clave Única de Identificación Tributaria | CUIT | Public via AFIP |
Chile | Rol Único Tributario | RUT | Public via SII |
China | Unified Social Credit Code | USCC | Partially public |
Japan | Corporate Number | Corporate Number | Public in the national registry |
India | PAN / GSTIN | PAN / GSTIN | GSTIN can be validated on the GST portal |
Australia | Australian Business Number | ABN | Public via ABN Lookup |
Switzerland | UID / VAT number | UID | Public in the UID registry |
Singapore | Unique Entity Number | UEN | Public |
Israel | Company Number / VAT | — | Partially public |
Where the table says VAT via VIES, the VAT number of European Union companies can often be checked in the European Commission’s VIES system. Where the table says not public, the number exists, but there is no open official lookup. That is the case where a validated supplier database saves time.
What are the three REINF cases?
When a Brazilian company records a payment abroad, the supplier usually falls into one of three cases. The first is a beneficiary with NIF, meaning the country assigns an identifier and the supplier has one. The second is a beneficiary exempt from NIF, meaning the country assigns identifiers but that supplier is legally exempt. The third is a country that does not require NIF.
These distinctions matter because the wrong classification can create compliance risk. Marking a supplier as exempt only to avoid the search is not a safe shortcut. The information can be cross-checked by authorities, and an incorrect record may lead to penalties or rework.
For finance teams, the practical rule is simple: confirm the country, confirm the legal status, and keep evidence when the supplier is exempt. NIF by country helps with the first step, but it does not replace validation of the specific supplier.
How do you find the NIF of a specific foreign supplier?
Knowing that the United States uses EIN does not solve the problem if the company’s EIN is not public. To find the correct number for a specific supplier, start with the local registry, the official validation portal, or a trusted supplier database. For many teams, a validated database is the fastest route.
WTM maintains a base of validated supplier NIFs for major cloud, CRM, IaaS, and AI platforms. That helps teams avoid repeated manual searches and reduces the risk of using the wrong identifier in tax records. If the supplier is already in the validated base, the finance team can move faster and with more confidence.
The next step is to check the supplier’s country, identify the local tax ID name, and then verify whether the number is public or needs official validation. If the number is still unclear, use the guide on how to find the NIF of a foreign supplier.
FAQ
How is NIF called in the United States?
For companies, the usual term is EIN, which stands for Employer Identification Number. TIN is the broader term for taxpayer identification number. The EIN is not publicly searchable in the same way as some other national identifiers.
How is NIF called in Italy?
Italy commonly uses Partita IVA and Codice Fiscale. Partita IVA is the VAT number of the company, while Codice Fiscale is another tax identifier used in the Italian system.
Is there an official list of NIF by country?
The OECD maintains a reference list with tax identification formats used by many countries. It is a useful starting point, but it does not replace validation of a specific supplier’s number.
Does every country have a NIF?
No. Some countries do not assign a taxpayer number to companies or individuals. In those cases, the correct classification is that the country does not require NIF.
Can European VAT numbers be validated?
In many cases, yes. VAT numbers for European Union companies can often be validated in the European Commission’s VIES system.
NIF by country is the fastest way to translate a foreign tax identifier into the right local name. Once the name is clear, the next step is to validate the specific supplier and keep the record ready for reporting.
For the next step, review the guide on how to find the NIF of a foreign supplier, or use WTM’s validated supplier base when the number is not public.