CRS Individual Self-Certification Form (Effective 1 January 2026)

Summary

This is a DITC example Individual Tax Residency Self-Certification Form (with guidance) that Cayman Financial Institutions may use to collect CRS tax residency information from individual account holders, sole traders and sole proprietors. It is not a mandatory form template, but it reflects the minimum mandatory data fields Cayman Financial Institutions must collect under the CRS Regulations (2021 Revision) as amended in 2025, and it incorporates a rule change effective 1 January 2026.

• Mandatory data fields: Name, permanent residence address, jurisdiction(s) of tax residence, TIN or functional equivalent for each Reportable Jurisdiction, date of birth, place of birth, signature/attestation, and date of signature must be collected for a self-certification to be valid.
• Multiple tax residencies: Effective 1 January 2026, account holders resident in more than one jurisdiction for tax purposes must declare all jurisdictions of residence and may not rely on tax treaty tiebreaker rules to select only one.
• Change of circumstances: If a change makes the form inaccurate or incomplete, the account holder must notify the Financial Institution and provide an updated self-certification within 30 days.
• Documentary evidence: Where a form is requested due to a change in circumstances or indicia of reportable status, or where the FI knows/has reason to know a self-certification is incorrect, the FI may need to obtain documentary evidence or a valid replacement self-certification/reasonable explanation.
• Related forms: Entity account holders and controlling persons of entities must use the separate Entity Self-Certification Form instead of this individual form.

The form itself is illustrative rather than legally binding, but the underlying data collection and reporting duties derive from the Cayman CRS Regulations and their 2025 amendment; false or materially incomplete self-certifications are stated to be an offence.

Key obligations

• Cayman Financial Institutions must, at minimum, collect the mandatory data fields (name, address, jurisdiction(s) of tax residence, TIN, date of birth, place of birth, signature and date) when obtaining an individual self-certification.
• Account holders must declare all jurisdictions in which they are tax resident, effective 1 January 2026, without relying on tax treaty tiebreaker rules where resident in multiple jurisdictions.
• Account holders must notify the Financial Institution and provide an updated self-certification within 30 days of any change in circumstances that makes the information inaccurate or incomplete.
• Where a self-certification is known or suspected to be incorrect, the Financial Institution must obtain either a valid self-certification or a reasonable explanation and supporting documentation, and retain a copy or notation of it.
• Individuals completing the form on behalf of another person (custodian, nominee, power of attorney, legal guardian) must indicate the capacity in which they are signing.

Applies to

Cayman Financial Institutions, individual account holders, sole traders, sole proprietors, controlling persons (via separate Entity form)

Deadlines

• 1 January 2026: Effective date from which all jurisdictions of tax residence must be declared in a self-certification, without reliance on treaty tiebreaker rules for multiple residences.
• within 30 days: Account holder must notify the recipient and provide an updated self-certification after any change in circumstances affecting the accuracy of the form.