The Philippines continues in constant advance towards implementing its continuous transaction controls (CTC) system, which consists of near real-time reporting of electronically issued invoices and receipts. On 4 April, testing began in the Electronic Invoicing System (EIS), the government’s platform, with six companies selected as pilots for this project.
The initial move toward a CTC system in the Philippines started in 2018 with the introduction of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Act, known as TRAIN law, which has the primary objective of simplifying the country’s tax system by making it more progressive, fair, and efficient. The project for implementing a mandatory nationwide electronic invoicing and reporting system has been developed in close collaboration with the South Korean government, considered a successful model with its comprehensive and seasoned CTC system.
Electronic invoicing and reporting are among many components set forth by the TRAIN law as part of the country’s DX Vision 2030 Digital Transformation Program. With this, the Philippines is making headway toward modernising its tax system.
Introduction of mandatory e-reporting in the Philippines
The Philippines CTC system requires the issuance of invoices (B2B) and receipts (B2C) in electronic form and their near real-time reporting to the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), the national tax authority. The EIS offers different possibilities in terms of submission, meaning that transmission can be done in real-time or near real-time. Documents that must be electronically issued and reported include sales invoices, receipts, and credit/debit notes.
According to the Philippines Tax Code, the following taxpayers are covered by the upcoming mandate:
- Taxpayers engaged in the export of goods and/or services
- Taxpayers engaged in e-commerce
- Taxpayers under the jurisdiction of the Large Taxpayers Service (LTS).
However, taxpayers not covered by the obligation may opt to enroll with the EIS for e-invoice/e-receipt reporting purposes
E-invoices must be issued in JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) format and contain an electronic signature. After issuance, taxpayers can present their invoices and receipts to their customers. The tax authority´s approval is not needed to proceed. However, electronic documents must be transmitted to the EIS platform in real-time or near real-time.
E-archiving requirements
The Philippines introduced somewhat unusual requirements in this period of digitization, when it comes to e-invoice archiving. The preservation period is ten years and consists of a system in which taxpayers are obliged to retain hard copies for the first five years. After this first period, hard copies are no longer required, and exclusive storage of electronic copies in an e-archive is permitted for the remaining five years.
What’s next for taxpayers?
With tests officially underway, the next phase should begin on 1 July 2022, with the go-live for 100 pilot taxpayers selected by the government, including the six initial ones. After that, the government plans to advance a phased roll-out in 2023 for all taxpayers under the system’s scope. Meanwhile, taxpayers can take advantage of this interim period to conform with the Philippines CTC reporting requirements.
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