BIR says digital TIN cards now available

THE Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) said digital Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) cards are now available for use by the public.

“With this new system, we can eliminate the practice of fixers and scammers selling TIN online while giving taxpayers a convenient alternative in getting a TIN, instead of lining up at our Revenue District Offices,” BIR Commissioner Romeo D. Lumagui, Jr. said in a statement on Thursday.

The BIR noted that the digital TIN is free.

“Taxpayers availing of the services of online sellers of TIN ID assistance risk the possibility of getting invalid or fake TIN and wrong taxpayer type classification, which may impact their future transactions with the BIR,” it added.

“The Digital TIN ID serves as a reference for the Taxpayer Identification Number of the taxpayer and as a valid government-issued identification document accepted in various government agencies, local government units, banks, employers, and other institutions,” the BIR said.

The BIR noted that the digital TIN does not require a signature and may be verified online through the agency’s Online Registration and Update System (ORUS).

Taxpayers with physical TIN cards may also avail of the digital TIN by enrolling their accounts on the ORUS. — Luisa Maria Jacinta C. Jocson