Vietnam tax agency rolls out biometric verification to curb ghost companies

Vietnam’s General Department of Taxation announced a new biometric authentication system for individuals acting as legal representatives, business owners and private entrepreneurs when they register or amend their use of electronic invoices. The measure, coordinated with the Administrative Police, aims to prevent the creation of “ghost companies” that exploit falsified personal data to buy illegal invoices, and to improve the reliability and security of the tax‑paying process.

A draft decree accompanying the initiative also proposes that tax authorities publish the names and partial identification details of owners of businesses that have abandoned their registered address, while masking part of the personal ID number to protect privacy. Legal experts have warned that even partially disclosed data may reveal personal information and urged careful criteria for when such disclosures should be made, recommending that only confirmed tax violations trigger public listing.