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> Of course each country will have its own uses (or non uses) for the thing, that is generically (EU) called TIN: Exactly. In Finland (as in the US obviously)

> Of course each country will have its own uses (or non uses) for the thing, that is generically (EU) called TIN: Exactly. In Finland (as in the US obviously) knowing someone's ID can be used to cause damage to the person. You can do some business in the name of the person, because it is generally but falsely assumed that knowing the number is an authentication method. In Germany, because the tax number is only used for income taxation. Already for other taxes, like sales tax, property tax etc. another number is used. I am not ware of any obvious way how one could misuse someone else's income tax number. The income tax number is completely obscure, age of the person cannot be derived AFAIK. I know that in Italy the tax number is used quite a lot. I could not buy a rechargable smart card for public transport, because I did not have the tax number. And when just for fun at a train ticket machine I tapped that I would like a receipt, it asked me for my tax number. Whether the number is used as an authentication method and could be misused in that context I have no idea.

jaclaz 9y ago
>I know that in Italy the tax number is used quite a lot. I could not buy a rechargable smart card for public transport, because I did not have the tax number. And when just for fun at a train ticket machine I tapped that I would like a receipt, it asked me for my tax number. Whether the number is used as an authentication method and could be misused in that context I have no idea. No, the number is just a number, and as said it is not secret and can be generated (though with not a 100% guarantee of it being valid because of "total" homonimy). It is only an ID number, whilst the card is (can be) a form of online ID (but only on a few specific government sites) and the said fun fact as proof of age on vending machines. In any case it is never a password, so having it public it is not an issue, at the most you could have typed my (or someone else's) Codice Fiscale on the ticket machine, but you couldn't have used it for (if appliable) tax deduction on your name.
- usr1106 9y ago
  > No, the number is just a number, and as said it is not secret and can be generated (though with not a 100% guarantee of it being valid because of "total" homonimy). True. I had already forgotten that. Created mine a couple of years ago using some unofficial online service. Maybe I still have it on some disk... Of course I cannot be 100% sure that it is correct. I understand I could order mine officially without ever having lived in Italy. Never bothered about that, I don't have that much contact to Italy.

jaclaz 9y ago

>I know that in Italy the tax number is used quite a lot. I could not buy a rechargable smart card for public transport, because I did not have the tax number. And when just for fun at a train ticket machine I tapped that I would like a receipt, it asked me for my tax number. Whether the number is used as an authentication method and could be misused in that context I have no idea. No, the number is just a number, and as said it is not secret and can be generated (though with not a 100% guarantee of it being valid because of "total" homonimy). It is only an ID number, whilst the card is (can be) a form of online ID (but only on a few specific government sites) and the said fun fact as proof of age on vending machines. In any case it is never a password, so having it public it is not an issue, at the most you could have typed my (or someone else's) Codice Fiscale on the ticket machine, but you couldn't have used it for (if appliable) tax deduction on your name.

usr1106 9y ago
> No, the number is just a number, and as said it is not secret and can be generated (though with not a 100% guarantee of it being valid because of "total" homonimy). True. I had already forgotten that. Created mine a couple of years ago using some unofficial online service. Maybe I still have it on some disk... Of course I cannot be 100% sure that it is correct. I understand I could order mine officially without ever having lived in Italy. Never bothered about that, I don't have that much contact to Italy.