The determination of tannic acid is performed in a FIA assembly on the basis of the analytical output obtained by oxidation of the acid. The analyte solution was daily prepared in a mixture of quinine as sensitiser and perchloric acid and it was injected into a pure water stream acting as a carrier. This solution merges with the mixture potassium permanganate in perchloric medium and the resulting chemiluminescence is monitored. The method was applied over the range 0.5-20 mg l(-1) of tannic acid with a LOD 100 mug l(-1). The reproducibility was 2.1% and the sample throughput 54 h(-1). The influence of foreign substances was studied and the new method is applied to the determination of tannic acid in pharmaceutical and galenic formulations in human urine and surface waters.