In many African countries, limited population data pose a challenge for tax administrations struggling with informal economies. This study examines Uganda’s integration of national ID data into tax registration through “Instant TIN,” an interface linking the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) with the National Identification and Registration Agency (NIRA) and the Uganda Registration Service Bureau (URSB). This reform aims to streamline taxpayer registration and improve data quality. Using a mixed-methods approach—combining interviews with government officials and administrative data analysis—we identify three key findings. First, Instant TIN registrants differ significantly from those using the conventional process. They are more likely to be individuals, female, younger, and previously informal, highlighting the reform’s role in bringing in marginalised taxpayers. Second, Instant TIN improves data quality. It reduces TIN duplications for individuals and enhances contact accuracy, decreasing invalid or missing email addresses by eight percentage points and invalid phone numbers by six. However, it worsens sector data quality, increasing missing or incorrect sector information by 12 percentage points. Third, while Instant TIN reduces duplication, manual data entry, and administrative burdens, challenges remain. Infrequent updates in external datasets and a lack of validation within the interface increase administrative costs and complicate taxpayer engagement. Additionally, mandatory in-person updates and invalid contact details add to compliance burdens. Overall, Uganda’s experience highlights both the potential and limitations of integrating national ID data for tax administration, offering insights for other countries considering similar reforms.

This article examines the implications of adopting a socio-technical perspective on the design and implementation of GovTech solutions. To observe the phenomenon, it adopts a case study approach focusing on the WiseTown solution and its City Digital Twin (CDT), developed by the Italian company TeamDev. The article investigates how integrating social factors, such as urban governance, with technical elements, like data analysis and modeling, can enhance the conceptualization, design, and implementation of user-centric, data-driven digital solutions as part of a broader digital transformation strategy. The article explores an Italian best practice that is developing four dimensions of the GovTech socio-technical framework: Governance Structures, Institutional Arrangements, User and Context Understanding, and Technological Development. It critically examines and discusses the challenges and opportunities associated with the adoption of CDTs and their impact on public policy implementation. The analysis is centered on two main aspects that emerged from the case study: data integration and sharing within CDTs, and the social implications associated with data usage for decision-making. Ultimately, the article explores the role of stakeholder collaboration (public-private partnerships) and the creation of innovation ecosystems—GovTech ecosystem in this specific case—to inform and steer policymaking through and beyond the adoption of CDTs.