BIR Rolling Out E-receipt Scheme but BOC Experiences Delays

For the next month, the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) will begin its pilot issuance of electronic receipts around one hundred corporations, exporters, and e-commerce firms and anticipates small businesses to follow in 2023. 

Last June 21, the BIR unveiled its electronic invoicing/receipting and sales reporting system. The South Korean government financed the state-of-the-art data center for e-invoicing of the BIR. 

According to Deputy Commissioner Ma. Rosario Charo Enriquez-Curiba mentioned that the BIR will slowly expand after its pilot runs up until the year 2023. This new digital system includes businesses giving out e-receipts to customers and then electronically transmitting the sales data and reports directly to the BIR. This new system is decreed under the TRAIN law or the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Act. 

Meanwhile, the World Bank says that the Bureau of Customs is currently experiencing delays with its modernization and digital shift plans on account of a lack of qualified contractors. 

It was the pandemic and the lengthy lockdowns which caused the project to be delayed. The original rollout was originally intended for 2020. Before the pandemic, the transfer to e-voicing was initially planned to be completed by the year 2022 as part of the effort of the government to update the tax administration to “digital transformation” according to  Finance Undersecretary Antonette Tionko. 

Deputy Commissioner Curiba says that by 2023, other firms that are part of the BIR’s large taxpayers’ service (LTS) including MSMEs will be requested to also adopt e-invoicing. 

When asked when full implementation was expected, Curiba responded that it will be up to the incoming administration’s next BIR chief, Lila Guillermo to identify the goals for e-invoicing.

Source: Inquirer