Taxpayer shocked after paying taxes for 5 years under someone else’s TIN

Filipino worker discovers TIN mismatch while preparing documents for a Pag-IBIG housing loan.

A Filipino worker has allegedly spent five years paying withholding taxes under a TIN registered to another person, only discovering the mismatch while preparing documents for a Pag-IBIG housing loan.

The TIN issued to the worker as a first-time job seeker had been used throughout their employment, from BPO work to corporate jobs, and appeared on the BIR Form 2316 documents provided by all five employers, according to the worker, who shared the experience on Threads under the username @jovenxrobiso.

The issue allegedly surfaced when the worker checked the BIR’s Online Registration and Update System (ORUS) for an active TIN as part of their housing-loan requirements and found no record under their name.

The worker and their partner reportedly went to a BIR branch, where staff allegedly confirmed that the TIN on their records belonged to a different person.

The worker said BIR staff advised them to apply for a new TIN, which they did, but the move did not immediately resolve questions over the taxes already withheld under the mismatched number.

The situation also raised concerns over the worker’s Pag-IBIG housing-loan application, although their agent reportedly said the BIR Form 2316 from their employers could serve as proof that taxes had been paid.

The worker also questioned how the mismatch remained undetected despite five employers using the same TIN for their payroll and tax documents.

They said the TIN had previously been verified at a BIR branch in Kawit in 2021 and had even received a verification stamp at the time.

The worker is now reportedly coordinating with their current employer to correct the TIN attached to their payslips while also working with the BIR to address the records issue.

The case raises questions about how the TIN mismatch went undetected for years, where the taxes withheld under the number were credited, and who will ultimately address the inconvenience now faced by the worker as they try to correct their records and proceed with their housing-loan application.

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