BIR to suspend unregistered online sellers ahead of holiday season
The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) announced that it will be closely monitoring online sellers this holiday season and will be punishing those who will not be complying with their registration and tax remittance rules.
In a televised briefing, BIR Commissioner Romeo Lumagui Jr. said that all online stores are still required to undergo proper registration regardless if they are big or small.
"Pagdating sa pagrerehistro, wala tayong minimum. Lahat ng nagnenegosyo, lahat ng naglalayon na magbenta online ay kinakailangang magrehistro sa aming ahensyo. Ibang usapin 'yung kung may babayaran ba, o may ikakaltas na buwis, pero kinakailangan na magrehistro tayo sa BIR," Lumagui said.
"Kung maliit naman ang negosyo ay wala namang babayarang buwis. Syempre hindi natin masabi paano kung biglang lumaki 'yan at hindi ka rehistrado, dapat sakop ka na agad at may babayaran ka na para madali na lang ang benta," he added.
Online sellers who will not be complying will have their operations suspended by the agency under their Online Kandado program.
To ensure that no seller will dodge the strict implementation, Lumagui said that they are currently reminding online selling platforms of their responsibility to check their accredited sellers.
"Nakikipag-ugnayan tayo sa mga online selling platforms. Sinisiguro natin na naiintindihan nila ang kanilang obligasyon para imonitor ang mga accredited online sellers nila," he said.
BIR's capability to suspend online sellers is rooted from Section 115 of the National Internal Revenue Code, which states that the Commissioner of Internal Revenue has the power to suspend the business operations and temporarily close the business establishment of any person who has failed to undergo proper registration, among other violations.
The temporary closure will not be less than five days and will only be lifted after the seller has complied with whatever requirements prescribed by the Commissioner in the closure order.
BIR's warning against online sellers comes as the country is expecting an "increase in revenue of online businesses due to the holiday spending spree."
"To all consumers, ask online sellers/businesses for an official receipt. If you are spending your hard-earned income after paying taxes on their products, then online sellers/businesses should also pay their taxes," Lumagui stressed.
