BIR audit on big-time online sellers resumes

MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) will soon resume its monitoring of “big-time” online sellers to eventually collect taxes from them.

BIR commissioner Lilia Guillermo told reporters the agency would meet with Shopee and Lazada next month.

“As of now, they are still quite hesitant to provide us data due to privacy as they say. But for us, there’s nothing on that (privacy) that we are violating,” Guillermo said.

As to online influencers, particularly those earning huge amounts on YouTube, Guillermo said they would await the passage of the law on digital service providers, which is one of the priority legislations of the government.

“There were complaints that we are not after those influencers. We will use big data analysis from social media data and identify big time online sellers and influencers,” Guillermo said.

The Department of Finance is already pursuing the imposition of value-added tax on digital goods and services to level the playing field between traditional and digital businesses.

“The bill clarifies that goods or properties including digital or electronic in nature, and services including those rendered electronically, are subject to VAT,” the DOF said.