The Government has renewed its push for parliamentary approval to access individual bank accounts of Ugandans as a tool for stronger tax enforcement, State Minister for Finance Amos Lugoloobi told MPs.
Speaking while presenting a statement on the integration of National Identification Numbers (NINs) into the tax system, Lugoloobi stressed that the request is separate from the ongoing transition from Tax Identification Numbers (TINs) to NINs. “You have since refused to accept that, but we shall continue coming until you allow us access to your individual bank accounts,” he said.
The minister clarified that linking a person’s TIN to their NIN does not automatically give the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) access to bank records. Separate legal authorisation from Parliament would be required. “The NIN identifies the person. The tax law determines whether that person has a tax obligation and how much tax, if any, is payable,” Lugoloobi explained.
The NIN transition follows 2025 amendments to the Tax Procedures Code Act that allow NINs to serve as tax identification numbers for individuals. Government argues the change will eliminate duplicate records, improve identification and strengthen compliance. As of 30 June 2026, URA had about 5.7 million registered taxpayers, including roughly 5.4 million individuals. Of these, approximately 3.3 million were active while 2.1 million were inactive or hard to trace. In the 2025/26 financial year, URA identified 191,813 duplicate records and 51,993 changes in the register.
By 30 September 2026, the authority had linked 2,130,814 NINs to TINs out of 5,405,148 individual records — about 39.4 per cent. The process is being rolled out in phases: matching existing TINs to NINs, identity verification and profile updates. During the transition, verified taxpayers can continue using either their TIN or linked NIN.
The proposed bank-account access is framed as part of wider efforts to improve tax compliance and detect undeclared income. However, it raises significant privacy and confidentiality questions. URA’s taxpayer rights framework already recognises protections around privacy and the confidentiality of taxpayer information. Parliament will need to define the legal basis, conditions and safeguards for any expanded access — including when information may be requested, what authorisation is required, how data will be protected and what remedies exist if powers are misused.
Observers note that URA can already seek bank information through court orders in specific cases. Critics have questioned what additional powers the Government seeks and warned that routine or broad access could undermine banking secrecy, potentially driving funds out of formal accounts. Lugoloobi indicated the Government would keep pursuing the necessary approvals while URA continues the NIN transition.
The matter places Parliament at the centre of balancing revenue mobilisation goals against individual financial privacy. No timeline has been given for when the Government will formally table the request again.
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