Rica Peralejo questions BIR's registration seal requirement for digital earners
MANILA, Philippines — Actress and social media personality Rica Peralejo expressed disappointment over the Bureau of Internal Revenue's (BIR) requirement for content creators and other digital earners to display a registration seal on their online platforms.
In a post on Threads, Peralejo questioned the need to publicly prove her tax compliance, saying she has been paying taxes since she began working as an actress at 13.
“Buong buhay ko as artista ako ay nagba-bayad ng buwis. Then isang araw sasabihin need ng seal at iba pa raw 'yung sa artista at sa content creator or social media. Kailangang may patunay pa,” she said.
Peralejo said the requirement would have been easier to accept if Filipinos were not dealing with allegations of corruption involving government officials.
“And all of this would have been ok if only hindi tayo ninanakawan. 'Yung mga magnanakaw walang need patunayan pero ako na nagba-bayad ng buwis ever since I was 13 years of age to now, 45, hanggang October 31 ang deadline para sa seal na kailangang ipaskil sa aking platforms. Ang sakit maging Pilipino,” she said.
The actress described the requirement as insulting, particularly amid concerns over alleged corruption in government.
“Para sa akin sobrang nakakainsulto 'yung pakiramdam. In the thick of nanakawan tayo… tapos ganito. Like talaga ba?” she added.
In May, the BIR announced that online sellers and digital earners would be required to display a Registration Seal Badge on their online platforms as part of efforts to promote transparency and strengthen tax compliance in the digital economy.
The requirement covers online sellers, freelancers, professionals, vloggers, influencers and other individuals earning through digital platforms.
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