The BIR Portal: First Step to Cybertaxation

By Arnel Mendoza

The processes of tax payment and business registration requirement submission are oftentimes long and tedious. It requires most of us to take time off from our regular schedule to visit the concerned government offices. Bureaucratic delays, red tape and long lines caused by snail-pace service are common complaints. Because of these, most of us dread going through these mandatory annual rituals. Will there ever be a time when the tax compliance and government registration processes improve?

The answer could be the promulgation of Republic Act No. 8792, commonly known as the E-Commerce Law. It provides for the legal recognition and use of electronic commercial and non-commercial transactions in the government, making it imperative for the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to shift from its existing tax administration system into “cyber-taxation.” Section 27 of RA 8792 directs all government offices to recognize electronic transactions and to transact government business and/or perform governmental functions using electronic data messages or electronic documents. The same provision likewise instructs all government agencies to adopt regulations to carry out this purpose within two (2) years from the affectivity of the law. 

As they say, the advent of technology makes life easier and more convenient. With the start of cyber-taxation in the Philippines, there is hope that in the near future all processes in the BIR can be done with a click of the mouse.   

CPA-lawyer Marissa O. Cabreros, Chief of International Tax Affairs Division of the BIR, says that the volume of E-Commerce in the Philippines, however, is still miniscule compared with other countries and that the risks posed by the internet to the tax system are real. She explains, “The government must focus on how to address these risks in a spirit of collective cooperation rather that in an atmosphere of competition…”

The good news is that we don’t have to wait for the “near future” before we can enjoy the realization of cyber-taxation in the country. The BIR has enhanced its website, and has turned it into a portal; to serve the taxpayers faster and more efficiently.

Know how the BIR Portal can be used in BIR transactions through the following FAQs:

What is the BIR Portal?

The BIR Portal is an enhanced BIR website. It is a transaction hub where the public can (conveniently) conduct business with the BIR over the internet anytime, anywhere and get valuable information and access eServices like we’ve never experienced before.

Why did the BIR put up a portal?

Putting up a portal is part of the BIR’s efforts to improve the way it delivers service and information requirements to taxpayers. This is in line with the Bureau’s thrust to make tax compliance easier.

How is the Portal different from the BIR website?

The BIR Portal offers a whole array of new services and has features not available in the old BIR site. Some of these features include the search facility, capability for single sign-in to all web-based applications, direct access to content-related resources and customization of the views of users within the portal.

With the development of the BIR Portal, the existing BIR website is transformed into virtual communities where all of BIR’s eServices and tax information are just a click away.

Who can access the BIR Portal?

Anybody can access the BIR Portal after registration. Users of the BIR Portal are classified into “communities” (taxpayer, employee, external agency, contractor and supplier or bank) to make access to tax information and the Bureau’s eServices easier.

How will the different users benefit from the BIR Portal?

By grouping the users into communities with common interests, the BIR Portal can deliver the right information/service to the right audience through channels or port lets that have direct link to BIR web resources (i.e. eServices, Tax Calendar, BIR forms, zonal values, etc.).

Upon registration as member of a particular community, users will immediately be directed to the content or services relevant to them without having to go through the hassle of tedious searches within the site.

BIR Portal users can log on to all of the Portal’s applications just by signing-in once every time. There is no need to re-enter user information and password when directed to relevant links and applications.

What eServices does the BIR Portal offer?

Initially, the BIR Portal will offer TIN Verification, eFPS (Electronic Filling and Payment System), eTIN (getting a TIN online), eBroadcasting, eForecasting, eSubstituted Filing and eRegistration services, among others.

Over time, more eServices will be added to that roster, giving users the option to transact with the BIR at their own convenience.

Are transactions made over the BIR Portal secured?

Each transaction via the BIR Portal is encrypted, thereby guaranteeing security and confidentiality. Private data like tax payments and the like cannot and will not be exposed to and accessed by the public.

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