BIR: Digital TIN ID now available

The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) on Thursday announced that the digital Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) ID is now available to the public.

In a news release, the BIR said Internal Revenue Commissioner Romeo Lumagui Jr. issued Revenue Memorandum Circular No. 120-2023, informing the public about the availability, use, and acceptance of digital TIN ID as an additional feature of the agency’s Online Registration and Update System (ORUS). 

"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,” said Lumagui.

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

The digital TIN ID is free and not for sale. 

To avail of the digital TIN ID, the BIR said taxpayers need to update their email address at the Revenue District Office where they are registered. 

It added that taxpayers need to accomplish and submit Form S1905 – Registration Update Sheet (RUS) by sending an email to their concerned RDO or through BIR’s eServices-Taxpayer Registration Related Application (TRRA) Portal.  

Moreover, the BIR said it set specific guidelines for uploading photos for the digital TIN ID.

“Clear, appropriate, and recent images that resemble the individual accurately should be followed. Photos that do not meet the specified requirements and specifications shall not be considered as valid for transactions and shall not be accepted as valid digital TIN ID by the relying parties,” it said.

“Uploading of unrelated photos, such as animals, artists, cartoons or other people's photos, shall be subject to penalty,” it added.

The following are several key features of the new digital TIN ID:

• 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. Its authenticity can be verified online via the ORUS system using the QR Code provided.
• Unlike physical TIN cards, the Digital TIN ID does not require a signature. The authenticity of the Digital TIN ID can be verified online through the ORUS just by scanning the Quick Response (QR) Code appearing in the digital TIN ID using a mobile device camera.
• Individual taxpayers with existing TIN can apply for the digital TIN ID through ORUS. Users must enroll their accounts on the ORUS.

“The digital TIN ID is a permanent identification document. Both the physical TIN card and digital TIN ID remain valid, and holders need not secure a physical card if they possess a digital TIN ID,” the BIR said.—AOL, GMA Integrated News