PLANO ng Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) na magpataw ng creditable withholding tax sa gross remittances ng online platform providers sa kanilang partner sellers.
Ayon sa BIR, sa gitna ng umiingay na e-commerce sector sa bansa, “it sees a need for the BIR to take advantage of this opportunity to identify sellers of goods and services who are therefore obliged to declare their income resulting from these transactions for tax purposes.”
Layon ng BIR na amyendahan ang Revenue Regulations (RR) No. 2-98 dahil hindi nito saklaw ang income payments na isinagawa ng e-commerce platforms sa kanilang sellers o merchants.
Ipinapanukala ng ahensiya ang pagpapataw ng creditable withholding tax na 1% sa kalahati ng gross remittances ng online platform providers sa sellers.
Kapag ang e-commerce platform ay hindi nangangailangan ng business registration ng sellers, ang withholding tax ay ibabawas at ire-remit lamang kung ang single purchase ng goods and services ay nagkakahalaga ng ₱10,000 at kung ang parehong buyer at seller ay nagsagawa ng hindi bababa sa anim na transaksiyon.
Ayon sa BIR, ang gross remittance ay ang kabuuang halaga ng value ng goods o services na ibinenta at binayaran sa pamamagitan ng online platform facilities.
Anang ahensiya, sasaklawin ng salitang “online platform provider” ang marketplace platform; food delivery platform or its combination; platform for resort, hotel, motel, inn, and other similar lodging accommodations; travel or transportation platform; payment/remittance platform, tulad ng electronic wallet at other services or product platforms.
Kapag ipinatupad, ang online shopping giants Shopee at Lazada, food delivery provider Grab, at mobile wallets GCash at Maya ay kabilang sa mga masasaklaw ng bagong batas.
“The withholding tax imposed… shall be in addition to the existing withholding tax obligations being imposed on the online platform providers,” sabi ng BIR.