Online sellers can hold off on posting their Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Registration Seal Badge on their online shops and business pages. The BIR has suspended the requirement until further notice, days before the Oct. 31 deadline.
This means sellers will not be fined just for failing to display the badge while the suspension is in effect. Those who already have a badge may keep it posted, but displaying it is now optional.
The move aims to “provide for the orderly implementation of the Bureau’s registration verification initiatives,” the BIR said in Revenue Memorandum Circular No. 113-2026, dated Oct. 26 and signed by BIR Commissioner Charlito Martin Mendoza.
The BIR has not announced when sellers will be required to display the badge again. For small sellers using online stores, websites, or social media business pages, there is currently no new posting deadline to meet.
The rule drew complaints from online sellers and content creators who worried that anyone scanning the badge could see their full legal names. Senators Bam Aquino and Pia Cayetano asked authorities to address these privacy concerns. Aquino sought a delay, while Cayetano brought the matter to the National Privacy Commission (NPC).
The badge contains a QR code that buyers can scan with their phones to check whether a seller is registered with the BIR. It was introduced so sellers would no longer need to post their full Certificate of Registration, which contains personal and business details.
The rule also covered people offering services online and creators earning from videos, advertisements, product recommendations, and brand deals.
For sellers who have yet to post their badge, the suspension removes the need to do so by Oct. 31. Sellers who already posted theirs can leave it up for customers who want to check their registration before placing an order.