What is an IČO and TIN: how to get them and where to find them?

In business, IČO and DIČ are perhaps the most commonly used abbreviations. If you are setting up a business or establishing a trade, you are bound to come across these terms. That's why you need to know how these two identifiers differ, who assigns them to you, and where you can look up the ID numbers and TINs of other companies or sole proprietorships.

What is an ID number and VAT number

What is the purpose of the ID number and VAT number?

What is the difference between an IČO and a TIN and when are these two identification numbers used? They are particularly important for accounting, taxes and identification when dealing with the authorities.

Identification number (ID number):

• Used to identify an entity (legal person, natural person, organisational unit of the state),
• both buyer and supplier (except for freelancers) must indicate it on each invoice.

Tax identification number (TIN):

• plays an important role in the payment of taxes,
• It is primarily used to communicate with the tax office,
• The VAT payer must indicate it on all documents,
• non-VAT payers must and should only quote their TIN in their dealings with the tax office,
• anyone working with a document bearing the VAT number must check whether the issuer is a VAT payer and book the document accordingly.

When communicating with foreign entities, you may see the abbreviation VAT or VAT number (in EU countries) and TIN (Tax Identification Number, used for example in the USA) instead of the abbreviation TIN. If your business partner asks you for one of these numbers and you are unsure what it is, they are usually interested in your Czech TIN.

How to get an ID number and VAT number

Company

The registration number is assigned by the registration court after the company is formed. The VAT number is issued by the tax office after registration for corporate income tax. For a Czech legal entity, the tax identifier is usually the abbreviation CZ + IČO.

SELF-EMPLOYED

Self-employed persons obtain an identification number from the Trade Licensing Office when registering a trade or issuing a concession. So-called freelancers (e.g. tax consultants or interpreters) are issued an ID number by the Czech Statistical Office. A self-employed person obtains a TIN after registering for tax at the tax office and it usually consists of the abbreviation CZ + birth number.

Where to find a VAT number and VAT number

Company

You can find the company's ID number in the ARES company register or in the commercial register, for example. And how is the VAT number verified? This is also in ARES and can be accessed via the "VAT" field of the specific company. You can also search for VAT taxpayers in the register of taxpayers according to their identification number.

SELF-EMPLOYED

You can find the identification number of self-employed persons in the Trade Register, where you can search for specific persons by name. You can find the VAT number of the individual paying VAT in the same way as for a company - if the self-employed person is a VAT payer, ARES will display this information. Checking the VAT number of a non-taxpayer is more complicated - you will not find it in the register, but it is usually the individual's birth number.

Setting up a business or trade? We can advise you

Now you know what a VAT number and VAT number are. Are you about to start a new company or set up a business? If you don't want to bother with the paperwork and would rather use the experience of our team of experts, get in touch. Just fill in the contact form and we can get started!

We offer a completely online company formation - within 3 days it's done. If you don't want to waste time on paperwork and need to have your company up and running as soon as possible, choose from our ready-made companies. Of course, we can also help you with a trade license for self-employed persons.