Tax & Registration · Business & Trade

How to get an NTN on FBR IRIS (individuals, AOPs and companies)

Individuals register free on FBR's IRIS with a CNIC, a SIM in their own name and a bank certificate; your CNIC becomes your NTN. AOPs and companies, explained.

By Ahtisham Imtiaz · Updated · 3 min read

Individual NTN
Your CNIC
AOP or company NTN
7 digits
Fee
None listed
Where
FBR IRIS
Summarize it for me

AI Summary

Individuals get an NTN by registering on FBR's IRIS portal: click Registration for Unregistered Person, verify your mobile and email, then submit Form 181 with your address, bank account and any business details. Your 13-digit CNIC becomes your NTN, and FBR lists no fee. You need a SIM in your own name and a certificate for a bank account in your name. AOPs register at a Tax House facilitation counter; companies get their 7-digit NTN through SECP incorporation.

If you’re an individual, you get an NTN by registering on FBR’s IRIS portal, and your 13-digit CNIC becomes your NTN. You need a mobile SIM registered in your own name, a personal email, and a certificate for a bank account in your name. FBR lists no fee. AOPs register at a Tax House facilitation counter, and companies get their 7-digit NTN through SECP when they incorporate.

What do I need before I start?

FBR lists these for an individual registering online:

  • a mobile phone with a SIM registered against your own CNIC
  • a personal email address
  • a scanned PDF of a certificate for a bank account in your own name
  • if you run a business: proof that you own or rent the premises, and a paid utility bill for them, no older than 3 months
  • a computer with a scanner and internet

You’ll also enter your residential address and, depending on your income, your business name and address, your employer’s name and NTN, or the address of property you rent out.

How do I register on IRIS, step by step?

  1. Open the IRIS login page (iris.fbr.gov.pk) and click Registration for Unregistered Person.
  2. Enter your CNIC (without dashes), your name as on the CNIC, your mobile number and email. FBR sends one code to your phone and another to your email; enter both to create the account.
  3. Your password arrives by SMS and email. FBR’s 2015 guide says this takes 1 to 5 minutes.
  4. Log in with your CNIC as the registration number. Go to Draft, then Registration, then Form/Statement, select 181 (Form of Registration filed voluntarily) and click Edit.
  5. Fill in the tabs: Personal (accounting period), Property (home or head-office address, required), Business (only if you run one), Bank Account (IBAN, required) and Links.
  6. Check everything and click Submit. FBR’s guide warns you can’t change the details after submitting.

FBR doesn’t publish how long it takes to approve Form 181. You can also register through FBR’s Tax Asaan app.

How does an AOP or partnership firm get an NTN?

FBR says online registration is only for individuals. For an AOP (association of persons, which includes partnership firms), one member goes in person to a Tax House facilitation counter with:

  • the original partnership deed, and the Registrar of Firms certificate if it’s a registered firm
  • CNICs of all members, and an authority letter on the AOP’s letterhead signed by all of them
  • a phone with a SIM in that member’s own name that isn’t already registered with FBR
  • the AOP’s email and a bank account certificate in the AOP’s name
  • proof of the business premises and a utility bill no older than 3 months, if it has a business

How does a company get an NTN?

If you incorporate through SECP’s eZfile, the FBR details you enter are sent to FBR, which issues the company’s NTN if the information is complete and correct. See how to register a company.

A company can also register at a facilitation counter. Its principal officer brings the incorporation certificate, directors’ CNICs, an authority letter signed by all directors, the company’s email and bank certificate, and premises documents.

What happens after I register?

  • You must file a return every year once you have an NTN. See how to become a filer.
  • Display your NTN at every place of business if you have business income.
  • You need an NTN before you can get a commercial or industrial electricity or gas connection.
  • To check your registration any time, see how to check your NTN.

More guides: Tax & Registration.

Questions people ask

How do I get an NTN online from the IRIS portal?

On iris.fbr.gov.pk click Registration for Unregistered Person, enter your CNIC, name, mobile and email, and verify the codes sent to both. Then log in, open Form 181 under Draft, Registration, fill in the tabs and submit.

Is my CNIC my NTN?

Yes. Since tax year 2015, an individual's 13-digit CNIC is used as the National Tax Number. Companies and AOPs get a separate 7-digit NTN.

How do I get an NTN for a company?

If you register the company with SECP, the FBR details you give during incorporation are forwarded to FBR, which issues the company's NTN if the information is complete. FBR also registers companies at Tax House facilitation counters.

What documents do I need for NTN registration?

For an individual registering online: a SIM registered against your own CNIC, a personal email, and scanned PDFs of a bank account certificate in your name and, if you run a business, proof of the premises and a recent utility bill.

Is there a fee for NTN registration?

FBR lists no fee, and section 181 of the Income Tax Ordinance no longer mentions one.

Sources

  1. Register (Income Tax): taxpayer registration basics, FBR (accessed 7 Oct 2026)
  2. Requirements before Registration, FBR (accessed 7 Oct 2026)
  3. Registration process, FBR (accessed 7 Oct 2026)
  4. IRIS user guide: registration for individuals (Urdu, 2015), FBR (accessed 7 Oct 2026)
  5. Income Tax Ordinance, 2001 (amended up to 30.06.2026), section 181, FBR (accessed 7 Oct 2026)
  6. Pakistan: information on tax identification numbers, OECD (information supplied by FBR) (accessed 7 Oct 2026)
  7. Frequently Asked Questions on Incorporation, SECP (accessed 7 Oct 2026)
  8. Tax Asaan (App Store listing), FBR via Apple App Store (accessed 7 Oct 2026)

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