Risa Hontiveros Urge BIR To Withdraw Memo Taxing Online Sellers

Risa Hontiveros Files resolution Urging BIR to Suspend Tax On Online Sellers

RISA HONTIVEROS – Opposition Senator Risa Hontiveros filed a resolution urging the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to suspend tax memo on online sellers.

The BIR officials said they are planning to tax media streamers and online sellers. On their Memorandum Circular 60-2020, they inform all big online merchants to register their businesses.

Deputy Commissioner for Operations Arnel Guballa said the tax bureau is targeting big online merchants such as Alibaba, Netflix, and Amazon. He explained that the agency is not after small online sellers.

Risa-Hontiveros-BIR-tax-online-sellers — Photo Source: Philstar

In a previous article, Senator Risa Hontiveros urged the government to collect Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) unpaid taxes first before taxing the online sellers. She said the online gaming company failed to pay its P50 billion tax.

“Imbes na online sellers, baka pwedeng singilin muna ang mga POGO na may P50 billion in unpaid taxes? Hindi ‘yung dagdag-perwisyo pa sa sarili nating mga kababayan na kaunti na nga lang ang kita para pandagdag-gastos sa pamilya nila,” Hontiveros said.

Online-Sellers-1 — Photo Source: The Endicia Blog

On Saturday, June 20, Sen. Risa Hontiveros took to her Twitter account to air her frustration with the BIR’s decision to ask for taxes from the Filipino online sellers. She also uploaded a photo of the resolution she filed urging the tax bureau to suspend the implementation of the tax memo.

“The BIR memo to tax online sellers is ill-timed & insensitive. Gumagawa lang ng paraan ang mga Pinoy para makakain,” she wrote.

The politician said these online merchants are just trying to make some money amid the coronavirus crisis. She urged the BIR to “suspend the implementation of the memo until the end of the year to craft a better policy in everyone’s best interest.”