NTN verification
NTN verification: check any taxpayer in a minute
How to verify an NTN or CNIC with FBR, check whether a business is on the Active Taxpayer List, and why checking your buyer before you invoice them saves you money.
Start here
Three checks, three different answers
"Verify an NTN" can mean three different things. Know which one you need before you start.
- Is the NTN real? An NTN is the National Tax Number FBR gives a person or business for income tax. Checking it confirms the number exists and belongs to the name you were given.
- Is the taxpayer a filer? The Active Taxpayer List (ATL) for income tax shows who has filed their income tax return. Filers are listed as active, non-filers as inactive.
- Is the business registered for sales tax? A business registered for sales tax has a sales tax registration number (STRN). FBR keeps a separate Active Taxpayer List for sales tax.
The answers can differ. A business can have a valid NTN, be an income tax filer and still not be registered for sales tax. For invoicing, the sales tax check is the one that changes your invoice.
When you register a purchase in IRIS, FBR's system checks the seller's CNIC against NADRA and FBR records and marks the seller as registered or unregistered. FBR's own systems run these checks all the time, so your invoices should match them.
Step by step
How to verify an NTN or CNIC
All of these are free and come from FBR itself.
By SMS to 9966
Works on any phone. For a person, text ATL (space) 13-digit CNIC. For a company or AOP, text ATL (space) 7-digit NTN.
Send it to 9966. FBR replies with the taxpayer's ATL status.
Online in IRIS
FBR's Online Verification Portal is in IRIS, linked from the fbr.gov.pk home page.
Look a taxpayer up by NTN or CNIC to see their registration and ATL status. FBR's Tax Asaan app has the same checks.
Download the lists
FBR publishes two Active Taxpayer Lists on fbr.gov.pk: one for income tax and one for sales tax.
Download them to check many customers at once.
For sellers
Why check your buyer before you invoice
A few seconds on the buyer's NTN saves a rejected invoice, the wrong tax and an unhappy customer.
The right tax
Whether your buyer is registered for sales tax changes the invoice. Sales to unregistered buyers can attract further tax, and FBR's system checks the registration type you send.
Fewer rejected invoices
A wrong or mistyped NTN is one of the most common reasons FBR rejects an invoice. Checking first means it goes through the first time.
Your buyer keeps their input tax
A registered buyer can claim input tax only on invoices FBR can match. Since 1 July 2026, unmatched input tax costs them 20% on top.
The 20% rule is in our post on the Finance Act 2026 penalties.
Built in
eInvoicePro checks every buyer for you
No SMS, no lists to download. The check happens as you add a customer.
Add your buyer
Type their NTN or CNIC when you add a customer, or while you make an invoice.
See their status
Their name, filer status and sales tax registration type come straight from FBR.
Get the tax right
Every invoice uses the buyer's real registration type, so the tax is right and FBR accepts it.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I verify an NTN online?
Use FBR's Online Verification Portal in IRIS, linked from the fbr.gov.pk home page, or FBR's Tax Asaan app. Look the taxpayer up by NTN or CNIC to see their registration and Active Taxpayer List status.
How do I check filer status by CNIC?
Text ATL, a space and the 13-digit CNIC to 9966. FBR replies with whether the person is on the Active Taxpayer List.
How do I check a company's NTN by SMS?
Text ATL, a space and the company's 7-digit NTN to 9966. The same format works for an AOP.
What is the difference between NTN and STRN?
An NTN is your National Tax Number for income tax. An STRN is your sales tax registration number, which only businesses registered for sales tax have. Sales tax invoices show both.
What does active or inactive on the ATL mean?
Active means the taxpayer is on FBR's Active Taxpayer List, because they have filed their return. Inactive means they are not on the current list.
How do AJK taxpayers check their ATL status?
Text AJKATL, a space and the CNIC without dashes to 9966. FBR treats the AJK list the same as the income tax ATL.
Does eInvoicePro check NTNs automatically?
Yes. When you add a buyer by NTN or CNIC, eInvoicePro's FBR digital invoicing software checks it with FBR and shows their name, filer status and registration type before you invoice them.
Learn more
Related guides
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