Warning! Do not apply for Philippine TIN tax card from online shopping platform

On June 19, local time, the Philippine Bureau of Affairs (BIR) once again reminded the public not to obtain TIN personal tax cards from online sellers.

The bureau issued the warning after discovering several social media sites and online sales platforms, such as Facebook, Shopee, Lazada and other tax cards.

Romeo Lumagui Jr., director of the BIR, said: "The sellers of these online platforms are not authorised by the BIR and therefore it is considered illegal to assist in the processing of TIN personal tax cards. We do not recommend that people apply for personal tax cards through them."

The bureau said it had held talks with representatives of Shopee and Lazada, calling on them to pay attention to such illegal activities and asking them to immediately remove all commodities, advertisements and posts that provide personal tax cards.

Lumaji stressed, "TIN personal tax cards are not for sale and are only issued or issued by the Ministry of Commerce through its authorized personnel. The public should not apply for or obtain personal tax cards from unauthorized Ministry of Commerce personnel, non-Ministry of Commerce personnel or through Facebook,Shopee,Lazada and other online sales platforms, as these are considered illegal, fraudulent and counterfeit."

The agency reiterated that applying for a personal tax card is free and does not require 3rd party services to obtain it.

In order to ensure the authenticity and legality of the TIN ID taxpayer identification number and TIN personal tax card issued, Lumaji recommends that the public only deal with authorized tax officers of the tax district office in all jurisdictions where they live, and follow the established procedures for obtaining both.

Secretary Li said, "The Bureau remains committed to protecting the integrity of the tax system and ensuring compliance with tax legislation. We urge the public to co-operate and report any illegal sellers of tax cards to the Bureau through our hotline number (02)8538-3200 or via email contact_us@bir.gov.ph. You can help the Bureau to stop such illegal practices by actively reporting such activities."

Since 2019, the Bureau's regional and regional offices have conducted operations in various provinces and towns in the Philippines to apprehend illegal tax card sellers.