The Philippines’ Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has inaugurated a state-of-the-art Data Centre, a new building that contains the Bureau’s Electronic Invoicing/Receipting System (EIS) systems and other data components. The EIS Data Centre is part of the Bureau’s preparations for the upcoming EIS pilot deployment, which is part of the BIR’s Digital Transformation Programme.
The DATA Centre follows a provision of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Act that directs the BIR to require identified taxpayers to issue electronic receipts or sales or commercial invoices in lieu of manual receipts or sales or commercial invoices within five (5) years of the Act’s enactment and upon the establishment of a system capable of storing and processing the required data.
The EIS pilot project was made possible by a grant from the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) at the Philippines’ Department of Finance’s request. The Agency also contributed software and equipment to the BIR, including servers, storage, and peripherals, as well as 270 PCs, 130 laptops, and 130 printers.
BIR digital initiatives to expedite tax filing
BIR has developed the Electronic One-Time Transaction (eONETT) System to provide another option for filing returns and paying taxes related to property transfers. The eONETT System is a web-based application that allows taxpayers to transact ONETT at any time and from any location if they have an internet connection.
It is an online platform where taxpayers (buyers/sellers of real estate and real estate developers) can submit their application for Electronic Certificate Authorising Registration (eCAR), along with the necessary documents, and pay the corresponding tax due and other fees.
The System automates the generation of the ONETT Computation Sheet and its related tax returns. Initially, only transactions involving the taxable sale of capital or ordinary real estate are available.
Furthermore, the eONETT System’s facilities must be used by authorised BIR personnel in the processing, review, and approval of online applications, as well as the generation and printing/issuance of eCAR for the taxable sale of capital or ordinary real property.
Once the eCAR has been approved by the appropriate BIR official, taxpayers will be notified to download and print their Claim Slip and present it to the appropriate office, along with a physical copy of the previously uploaded documents, to obtain a copy of their eCAR.
Meanwhile, DiTTU, which stands for Digital Tax Tulungan Upgraded, is another one of the BIR’s innovations that makes the process of filing an ITR for taxpayers as simple as sending a text message on their mobile devices. Taxpayers are now able to complete their Individual Tax Returns (ITR) using a computer tablet that is handed to them by the district office.
They are responsible for encoding their own tax information using the tablet, which eliminates the need for manual completion of tax forms and eliminates the need for manual computation of tax obligations.
In a couple of minutes, tax returns are instantly printed, and the tax payable is automatically computed. Under DiTTU, it is also simple to monitor the daily summary of tax returns filed and the revenue collected by Revenue Collection Officers.
In addition, Electronic Assistance or e-Assistance is a concept designed to encourage taxpayers, particularly those who do not have time to attend the district office, to file their ITR from the comfort of their own homes by utilising the district office’s e-Lounge services. Under this innovation, taxpayers who utilise the link supplied by a district office receive assistance electronically.
