Spectroscopic, electrochemical and fluorescence properties of five octahedral tin(IV) porphyrins ([(TpTP)Sn(O-m,p-C 6 H 3 (CH 3 ) 2 ) 2 ] (1), [(TpTP)Sn(O-p-C 6 H 4 (CH 3 )) 2 ] (2), [(TpTP)Sn(O-C 6 H 5 ) 2 ](3), [(TpTP)Sn(O-p-C 6 H 4 O-o,p-C 6 H 3 (NO 2 ) 2 ) 2 ] (4) and [(TpTP)Sn(O-p-C 6 H 4 (NO 2 )) 2 ] (5)) bearing electron donating/electron withdrawing aryloxo subunits as the axial ligands are investigated in detail. These complexes have been synthesized by the reaction of 5,10,15,20-tetra(4-methylphenyl)porphyrinato tin(IV) dihydroxide ([(TpTP)Sn(OH) 2 ]) and either 3, 4-dimethylphenol, p-cresol, phenol, 4-(2,4dinitrophenoxy)phenol or p-nitrophenol and were isolated in good-to-moderate yields. Analysis of the spectral data (FAB mass, IR, UV-vis and 1 H NMR) of 1 -5 suggests that the two trans axial aryloxo ligands are strongly bound in a symmetric manner at the tin center in these complexes. Specifically, the general symmetry observed in the 1 H NMR spectra and the ring current effect experienced by the protons present on the axial ligands are revealing in this regard. Each porphyrin ring undergoes two successive, reversible/quasi-reversible, one-electron reductions in CH 2 Cl 2 , 0.1 M TBAP. The bound nitroaromatic axial ligands of complexes 4 and 5 could also be reduced under the same set of experimental conditions. The wavelengths of maximum emission, the singlet energies and the Stokes' shifts observed in the fluorescence spectra of 1 -5 are close to the corresponding parameters of the reference porphyrin, [(TpTP)Sn(OH) 2 ]. On the other hand, fluorescence intensities of complexes 1 -4 are quenched in comparison with that of [(TpTP)Sn(OH) 2 ] in three different solvents. A detailed analysis of the emission and redox potential data indicates that a photoinduced electron transfer from the axial aromatic subunit to singlet state of the basal tin(IV) porphyrin can, in principle, explain the fluorescence quenching observed in these donor-acceptor systems. The spectroscopic and redox features of these tin(IV) porphyrins are compared with those of the analogous phosphorus(V) porphyrins reported by us earlier.