TIN Validation and Sanctions Screening help procurement and finance teams verify supplier compliance during onboarding and supplier maintenance. This feature validates supplier Tax Identification Numbers (TINs) against IRS records and screens suppliers against U.S. government sanctions and exclusion lists.
Permissions
The following user roles can initiate the validation check:
Community Administrator
Community Supplier Administrator
Create Invoices
Prerequisites
Before using this feature:
- The feature must be enabled by Unimarket staff.
- Your organization must have purchased the TIN Validation and Sanctions Screening add-on.
- The feature is available to U.S. customers only.
- Invoice Supplier Intelligence and Enable TIN Matching must be enabled, in Unimarket.
- An ITA Developer Portal API key is required for sanctions screening.
- Available for both Registered and Lite suppliers.
What is TIN Validation?
TIN Validation verifies a supplier's Tax Identification Number against IRS records, using a third-party verification service.
| Benefit | Description |
|---|---|
| Verify Tax Information | Confirms the TIN is valid. |
| Name Matching | Verifies the supplier name matches IRS records. |
| Reduce Errors | Helps avoid tax reporting issues. |
| Fraud Prevention | Helps identify incorrect or duplicate supplier records. |
Validation Statuses
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Valid | TIN successfully verified against IRS records. |
| Not Valid | TIN or supplier details do not match IRS records. |
| Not Checked | Validation has not yet been performed or has been reset. |
What is Sanctions Screening?
Sanctions Screening automatically compares supplier records against the International Trade Administration's Consolidated Screening List (CSL).
The CSL aggregates multiple U.S. government sanctions and exclusion lists, including OFAC. Allowing organizations to identify potential compliance risks, during supplier onboarding and maintenance.
| Benefit | Description |
|---|---|
| Compliance Monitoring | Identifies potential sanctions risks. |
| Risk Reduction | Helps organizations avoid transacting with restricted entities. |
| Due Diligence Support | Creates a documented compliance process. |
Limits & Notes
| Limits/Notes | Details |
|---|---|
| Regional Availability | Available to U.S. customers only. |
| Supported Supplier Types | Available for both Registered and Lite suppliers. |
| Lite Supplier Configuration | The Create Lite Supplier page does not include a TIN Type field. Customers must manually add the TIN Type before running a validation. |
| Status Visibility | TIN and sanctions statuses are currently displayed only on the supplier profile page. |
| Validation Allocation Limits | The system does not enforce a hard stop when a customer's allocated validation checks are exhausted. Usage is reviewed and managed at renewal. |
| Re-validation Restrictions | If a TIN is returned as Not Valid and no alternative business names are available, re-validation is disabled for 24 hours. |
| Tax Detail Changes | Editing tax details for a supplier with a Valid TIN automatically resets the status to Not Checked, requiring a new validation. |
| False Positives | Sanctions screening may generate potential matches that require manual review and internal due diligence. |
| Future Enhancement | A planned enhancement will allow administrators to disregard sanctions screening matches directly within the application. |
| Service Availability | If the upstream EinSearch validation service is unavailable, the validation button is disabled for up to 48 hours and an explanatory message is displayed. |
| Administrator Override | Community Administrators and Community Supplier Administrators can override the re-validation lock period by selecting Reset on the TIN component. |
Customer Benefits
| Benefit | Outcome |
|---|---|
| Mitigate Risk | Reduce fraud and strengthen compliance with IRS and U.S. trade regulations. |
| Enhance Efficiency | Eliminate manual verification processes through automated and bulk validation. |
| Improve Data Accuracy | Maintain accurate supplier records with verified tax information. |
| Defensible Compliance | Maintain a complete audit trail for due diligence and regulatory reviews. |
Key Features
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| One-Click TIN Verification | Validate a supplier's TIN directly from the supplier profile page. |
| TIN Status Filtering | Filter suppliers by Valid, Not Valid, or Not Checked status. |
| Bulk Validation | Run TIN validation for multiple suppliers, simultaneously. |
| Smart Name Suggestions | Displays registered business names when an EIN validation fails, enabling quick correction and re-validation. |
| Sanctions Screening via CSL | Screens suppliers against approximately 11-13 U.S. government sanctions and exclusions databases. |
| Fuzzy Matching | Identifies potential supplier matches. Even when names do not exactly match sanctions records. |
| Automated Notifications | Flags suppliers and sends email notifications, when a potential sanctions match is found. |
| Audit Trail | Records all validation and screening activity for compliance reporting. |
Pricing and Packaging
Comprehensive Plan
Each validation check includes:
- TIN Validation
- Sanctions Screening
| Annual Commitment | Rate per Check | Annual Subscription |
|---|---|---|
| 500 checks | $1.50 | $750 |
| 1,000 checks | $1.50 | $1,500 |
| 1,500 checks | $1.20 | $1,800 |
| 2,000 checks | $1.00 | $2,000 |
| 3,000 checks | $1.00 | $3,000 |
| 4,000 checks | $0.90 | $3,600 |
| 5,000 checks | $0.90 | $4,500 |
Additional Check Packs
| Additional Checks | Rate | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| 100 checks | $1.80 | $180 |
Pricing Notes
- Available to U.S. customers only.
- One validation check includes both TIN validation and sanctions screening.
- Unused checks do not carry over between subscription periods.
- Additional check packs can be purchased during the subscription term.
- Usage over allocated limits is reviewed and adjusted at renewal.