DIN is Verifiable Now, it is a Unique Reference Number

· It is decided that for communications dispatched using public option in CBIC’s eOffice application, the verifiable eOffice ‘Issue number’ shall be deemed to be the Document Identification Number and such communication shall be treated as a valid communication.

· The Document Identification Number generated through DIN utility shall continue to be mandatorily quoted on all other communications which have not been dispatched using public option in CBIC’s eOffice application.

1. Background:

o Circulars 37/2019 (05.11.2019) and 43/2019-Customs (23.12.2019) required quoting a Document Identification Number (DIN) on communications to taxpayers and concerned persons, including emails.

o Previously, eOffice communications had an automatically generated Issue Number, but there was no online verification utility, so a separate DIN was needed.

2. New Online Verification Utility:

o A utility is now available at https://verifydocument.cbic.gov.in for verifying the Issue Number of communications sent via eOffice.

o Verification provides:

§ File number

§ Date of issue

§ Type of communication

§ Name of issuing office

§ Masked recipient details (name, address, email)

3. Metadata Requirement:

o Officers must accurately fill in the document metadata (type, recipient details) in eOffice while drafting communications.

4. Key Decision:

o For communications sent via the public option in eOffice, the Issue Number is now equivalent to DIN.

o A separate DIN is not required on such communications.

o For all other communications not sent via eOffice public option, DIN must continue to be quoted.

5. Modification:

o Circulars 37/2019 and 43/2019-Customs are modified to this extent.

[CBIC Circular No. 23/2025 -Customs dated 23 September, 2025]

[GST Circular No. 252/09/2025-GST dated 23.09.2025]

Subject: Communication to taxpayers through eOffice - requirement of document Identification Number (DIN).

Attention is invited to Board's Circular No. 37/2019 dated 05th November, 2019 and 43/2019-Customs dated 23rd December, 2019, regarding Generation and Quoting of Document Identification Number (DIN), initially on specified documents and subsequently expanded to all communications (including e-mails) sent to taxpayers and concerned persons.

2. It has been brought to the notice of the Board that communications issued through eOffice of CBIC bear an automatically generated unique ‘Issue number’. However, no online utility was available to verify the authenticity of such communications through Issue number, hence DIN was required to be generated and quoted on such communications. Now an online utility has been developed and made functional (URL https://verifydocument.cbic.gov.in), where the taxpayers and other concerned persons can verify online the electronically generated unique “Issue number” borne on communications dispatched using public option in eOffice application by CBIC officers. Upon verification, this utility confirms the Issue number, and other details and provides information to authenticate the document, like, -

i. File number,

ii. Date of issuing the document,

iii. Type of communication,

iv. Name of Office issuing the document,

v. Recipient name (masked),

vi. Recipient address (masked),

vii. Recipient email (masked).

3. The name of the office issuing the document is captured from the data available within eOffice, while the document type, recipient name, recipient address, recipient email are entered in the metadata by the officers creating the document. Officers responsible for issuing communications via CBIC's eOffice must mandatorily fill and ensure correctness of this information in the metadata while creating the draft before its approval.

4. In light of the above, quoting separate DIN on such communications dispatched using public option in eOffice application, which already bear issue number, will result into two different electronically generated verifiable unique numbers namely Issue No. & DIN on the same communication, which renders quoting of separate DIN on such communication unnecessary. It is therefore decided that for communications dispatched using public option in CBIC’s eOffice application, the verifiable eOffice ‘Issue number’ shall be deemed to be the Document Identification Number and such communication shall be treated as a valid communication.

5. The Document Identification Number generated through DIN utility shall continue to be mandatorily quoted on all other communications which have not been dispatched using public option in CBIC’s eOffice application.

6. To the above extent, Circular No. 37/2019 dated 05th November 2019 and 43/2019- Customs dated 23rd December 2019 issued by the Board, stands modified.

F. No. 394/39(14)/2018-Commr-(Inv.-Cus)