Tax numbers for Malaysia, Italy, Portugal, and Germany

What this guide covers

This guide follows FinKatt (@ZeeleoWynn) on 28 October 2026 and sorts the online routes for four taxpayer numbers: Malaysia, Italy, Portugal, and Germany. None of the four is local residence, and none of them makes you a tax resident of that country. The number means the tax authority has an identifier on file.

The channels are not the same. Malaysia uses e-Daftar on the MyTax portal. The Italy section covers only foreign nationals in the London consular district. The Portugal section in the source post uses the paid service nifonline.pt. The Portuguese tax authority does not charge that fee. Germany uses form 010250, the application for an IdNr for people who are not in the population register.

Before you start

Use a tax number for a real purpose you can explain. It does not give you the right to live in that country, and it does not move your tax residence. Banks, brokers, and payment firms can still ask for proof of address, a long-stay visa, or other evidence of where you live. Fill the form, the address proof, and the stated reason with the facts. False residence or tax-residence information can get an account restricted or frozen.

Split the paperwork by country:

1. Malaysia: a scan of a valid passport and an email address. The source post also suggests a +60 number.
2. Italy: only if you live in the London consular district and can show a real address there. You also need form AA4/8 and your passport.
3. Portugal: passport, email, a real residential address, and a card that can pay in euros. The source post uses a paid agent, not a free tax-office counter.
4. Germany: a passport scan, form 010250, and an inbox that does not drop official mail. The post suggests Gmail or Outlook rather than QQ or 163.

Steps

Step 1. Malaysia TIN, file type IG

From 1 January 2024, an individual tax number is requested online through e-Daftar on MyTax. The e-Daftar entry is separate from the MyTax login used later to activate the account. On HASiL's individual registration page, non-citizens, non-permanent residents, and people outside Malaysia are file type IG. The published support document is a passport that is still valid. Business-registration papers are added only if you run a business. If you already work or live in Malaysia and the form asks for a pass or proof of address, upload what that page asks for.

The source post describes this step as free, with approval often in 1 to 3 working days, and a number that usually starts with IG. Trust the fee and the timing on the confirmation page and in the email.

On the first e-Daftar screen, the post uses these choices:

1. Type of Taxpayer: Individual.
2. Type of Reference Number: Passport Number.
3. Reference Number: the full passport number.
4. Passport Country: China.
5. A mailbox you actually check.
6. Phone: a +60 Malaysian number. The post recommends this. It is not the only value the screen can accept.
7. Security Phrase: the characters on the page, then search. If there is no existing file, the e-Daftar form opens.

Match the form to the passport:

1. Full name in the passport's English spelling, plus date of birth, sex, and nationality as printed.
2. A real address. The post says either a China address or a Malaysia address is used. Do not invent the postcode, city, or country.
3. If you are not employed in Malaysia and have no local business, set Employment / Business to No. Investing is not a local business.
4. Spouse or child fields with nothing to report: None or Not Applicable. Skip what the form lets you skip.

Upload the passport biodata page, sharp, with all four edges, and without glare. The post says JPG, PNG, or PDF, under 2MB. It also says face verification in the MyTax app is usually faster, and a web-only submission sometimes asks for e-CP55D. Follow the check the account actually shows.

After you submit, keep a screenshot of the Application Reference Number. The status is often Pending Approval. The post counts the review on Malaysia hours, 9:00 to 17:00, then an email, and says to open the activation link promptly. If it runs late, look the reference up in e-Daftar. HASiL lists 03-8911 1000, and 603-8911 1100 from abroad.

To activate, open the link and return to MyTax. ID Type is Passport. ID Number is the passport number. The post says to continue with e-CP55D when you have no digital certificate. The tax number is visible after login.

Step 2. Italy Codice Fiscale, London district only

The Italian tax code is a 16-character personal identifier. The Consulate General in London says foreign nationals living in that consular district can book a virtual appointment on Prenot@Mi and upload a signed AA4/8, a passport, and proof of address inside the district. The consulate page treats the address proof as required. If you do not live in the district, do not borrow an address and book London anyway.

The post's set is three PDFs, each under 1MB:

1. AA4/8, filled in and signed by hand. If you were not born in Italy, the post puts the foreign code EE in PROVINCIA. Names go in uppercase pinyin.
2. The passport biodata page.
3. UK proof of address. The post prefers a bank statement from the last 3 months that the consulate has already accepted by email. The document has to be real, and the address has to sit in the London district.

The booking:

1. Register on Prenot@Mi and choose the Consulate General of Italy in London.
2. Choose Attribuzione Codice Fiscale.
3. Upload the full set. The post adds the purpose in English, for example a bank account. Write the purpose you actually have.
4. You do not attend in person. The post says a stamped PDF arrives about 5 working days after the appointment date. Trust the consulate's email for the timing.

Step 3. Portugal NIF, agent fee versus the tax authority

The Portuguese tax authority, Autoridade Tributária, issues the NIF. It does not charge for the number itself. A non-resident does not have to name a tax representative before the number is issued. If you are in Portugal, book a Finanças appointment and apply in person for free. From abroad, the official online route is a legal representative who can sign in to Portal das Finanças and file through e-balcão under Registo Contribuinte, Identific, Atrib/Alter NIF-Singulares. The usual file is a passport, proof of your foreign address, and a power of attorney.

If you later have a Portuguese tax relationship, such as property, a vehicle, or a job, a non-EU resident generally has 15 days to name a tax representative or to join electronic notifications on Portal das Finanças or ViaCTT. A VAT representative is a separate, mandatory rule if you start a taxable independent activity in Portugal. The number is not a residence permit and not a work visa.

The source post does not use the counter. It uses nifonline.pt. That site advertises a starting price of €74.90. That is a service fee, not a tax. Their own flow is: fill the form and pay, upload documents, then sign a power of attorney so they can request the NIF in your name. Before you pay, read what the power of attorney covers and whether representation renews on a later invoice. Some customers report being asked for a renewal fee afterward. A wrong passport name or number goes into the tax file and is painful to unwind.

The post's order is:

1. Register with an email address.
2. Choose the NIF for an individual aged 18 or over.
3. Enter the purpose, personal details, passport, and residential address. The purpose stays on the tax record. Choose the real one, such as an account, a lease, or a purchase.
4. Check the spelling, then pay.
5. Wait for the official NIF file by email. The post says a China address can be used. It still has to be a real address.

Step 4. Germany IdNr, form 010250

The German personal tax number, IdNr, has 11 digits and is normally kept for life. If you have already registered your address with a German municipality, the number is issued from that registration. You do not use the email route below.

People who are not in the population register, and who need a number because of a German tax reason, use form 010250. The form title is an application for a tax identification number for persons who are not subject to registration. BZSt says people who work in Germany and live abroad are handled by the tax office of the employer's place of business, and that this form can be used. Berlin's service description limits it to two groups: people who work in Germany but live abroad, and people in Germany with no permanent address. If you have no German tax reason, do not invent one so a bank form has a number on it. An IdNr does not make you a German tax resident. The bank can still check where you actually live.

The post maps onto these fields:

1. Name is the family name. Vorname is the given name. Follow the passport. The family name is in capitals.
2. Geburtsort und Geburtsstaat is the city and country of birth, for example Chengdu, China.
3. Geburtsdatum uses day.month.year.
4. With no German address, the post writes nicht vorhanden under Anschrift in Deutschland. The foreign address goes in the abroad field, from the room outward.
5. Derzeitiger Aufenthalt in Deutschland: Nein.
6. Grund is the real reason. An employee of a German employer chooses Arbeitnehmer and names the employer. Another real reason uses Sonstiger Grund, with the reason written out. If there is no German employer, leave Arbeitgeber empty.
7. Sign and date the form. The attachment is a passport or identity card.

The post does not go to a tax-office counter. It emails BZSt and first asks for consent to unencrypted email. Subject:

Antrag auf Vergabe einer steuerlichen Identifikationsnummer

The German text below is the post's template. Replace the reason with the real one:

Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren,

ich wohne in China und habe keinen Wohnsitz in Deutschland. Hiermit beantrage ich die Vergabe einer steuerlichen Identifikationsnummer (Formular 010250).

Grund: [the real reason]

Bitte senden Sie mir die Einwilligungserklärung zur unverschlüsselten E-Mail-Kommunikation zu, damit mir die IdNr. per E-Mail mitgeteilt werden kann.

Mit freundlichen Grüßen

[full name in passport spelling]

Germany is 6 or 7 hours behind Beijing. The post suggests sending in the evening in China so the office sees it on a working day.

The reply includes a blank consent form. Print it, sign it, scan it, and reply on the same thread. Do not start a new message. Three attachments: the signed consent, the signed 010250, and the passport scan. The post uses this line:

Anbei sende ich Ihnen die unterschriebene Einwilligungserklärung, das Formular 010250 und eine Kopie meines Reisepasses.

The post says the whole thing takes about two weeks, then an email with the 11-digit number, and that a paper letter may still go to the address you wrote. If nothing comes back in 4 weeks, ask on the same thread. That timing is the follow-along, not a BZSt promise.

Malaysia e-Daftar Italian consulate in London Prenot@Mi Portugal NIF leaflet Germany form 010250 Source post

Carddoger总结

All four are taxpayer identification numbers. Malaysia uses HASiL e-Daftar, and an overseas individual is file type IG, so start with a valid passport. The Italian consulate in London issues a Codice Fiscale to foreign nationals in that district only, and the address proof has to be real. The Portuguese tax authority does not charge for a NIF. The €74.90 in the source post is nifonline.pt's advertised starting fee. Read the power of attorney and any renewal before you pay. German form 010250 is for people who are not on the population register and who have a German tax reason. It is not proof of residence.

The number does not replace a visa, an address, or tax residence. Banks and brokers still check where you live on their own. Write the reason and the address as they are.

Trust HASiL, the Consulate General of Italy in London, Portugal's Autoridade Tributária, and Germany's BZSt. This article compiles public pages and one follow-along. It is not tax, account-opening, or immigration advice.