Business owners, online sellers shocked by BIR badge requirement

BIR extends deadline for registered businesses and content creators to display taxpayer seal to October 31.

Small business owners and content creators expressed shock and dismay over an online taxpayer badge required by the Bureau of Internal Revenue, as the tax agency extended the deadline to display the badge to October 31.

The requirement has drawn criticism from online sellers, who say it adds to the regulatory requirements and fees already facing small businesses in the country.

“Bat mga small business owners lagi bunot niyo sa mga taxes, gov’t?” said Threads user @mhyansoul.

Some remarked that the public display requirement may pose data theft risks, especially with tax information available for scammers to copy.

While the badge requirement only applies to already registered businesses, the frustration around the seal is rooted in growing pressure for small retailers to register with the BIR—which some sellers say is more detrimental to their operations due to rising taxes and administrative costs.

“There is this defeating feeling in me that once I stamp that f***ing BIR badge on my profile somewhere, my slowmade handmade earrings, my mail club na ₱300 per month, my prints na ₱150/₱200 base will all be subject to tax (…) I make and do everything on my own. Tas makikisawsaw gobyerno na wala naman support ang arts/crafts industry natin?” said creative seller Woman Create.

The online badge indicates that an online merchant is registered with the BIR. Displaying the e-seal is the online equivalent of brick-and-mortar businesses displaying their BIR registration certificate in public areas.

The display requirement covers registered individual professional taxpayers (such as content creators); tax-paying entities engaged in retail sales via the internet, mail order, and telephone order; and online tutorial services.

These businesses and individuals are required to download their Registration Seal Badge and display it on their respective websites, social media accounts, and/or e-commerce storefronts. However, Shopee clarified on its website that affiliate marketers are exempt from the requirement.

Securing the seal requires a ₱30 documentary stamp tax fee paid through the BIR Online Registration and Update System.

The BIR said the deadline for registered businesses and content creators to display the electronic Registration Seal Badge on their respective platforms was extended to October 31. The extension only covers taxpayers registered with the BIR, with failure to display the e-badge potentially resulting in a fine of up to ₱1,000.

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