Senators Bam Aquino and Pia Cayetano have pressed the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) over privacy concerns in its BIR registration badge requirement, with Aquino calling for a temporary suspension before the October 31, 2026 compliance deadline. For sellers and content creators, the worry is what the badge’s QR code could give away: personal information, up to and including full legal names.
Senators press for a pause
“We urge the BIR to temporarily suspend the Registration Seal Badge requirement. Let us first listen to the concerns of online sellers and content creators,” Aquino said on a social media post.
Cayetano, in her own statement, called the concerns valid: sellers and digital content creators worry that the QR code could disclose personal data. She raised it with the National Privacy Commission (NPC), the agency whose budget she handles in the Senate, and urged the agencies involved to resolve the matter before the deadline.
What the badge replaces
The BIR registration badge replaces the practice of posting its Certificate of Registration (COR) — the full document or the electronic COR — on a website, an online shop, or a business social media page. Online registration rules had required taxpayers to keep their registration details public, which meant publishing the whole document. With the badge, customers and other authorized parties verify registration through its QR code, and the full COR stays off the page.
The requirement covers content creators, vloggers, and influencers, along with freelancers, digital service providers, e-commerce merchants, and online sellers. The badge should be displayed on any business-facing platform, from websites and marketplace or e-commerce pages to social media accounts used for business; BIR Commissioner Charlito Martin Mendoza said purely personal accounts are not covered.
Deadline Extension and the BIR’s response
The deadline has been extended on October 31, 2026, moved there by Revenue Memorandum Circular (RMC) 99-2026 so covered taxpayers have more time to secure the badge and display it. Securing it costs nothing; a PHP 30 documentary stamp tax applies where a taxpayer needs to update registration details online.
Mendoza acknowledged the privacy risks. The BIR, he said, is working with the NPC on safeguards for the verification system, “without compromising taxpayer privacy or personal safety.” No taxpayer will be penalized solely for leaving the badge off during the extension period.
As of October 14, 2026, more than 52,700 CORs carrying the badges had been secured by content creators, online sellers, and service providers, according to the BIR.
For more information, visit the Bureau of Internal Revenue’s official website or the National Privacy Commission’s website.
Source: The Manila Times
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
A seal carrying a QR code that the BIR requires on business accounts. It was introduced as an alternative to publishing a full Certificate of Registration, and customers or other authorized parties can check registration through the code.
October 31, 2026, after the BIR extended it through Revenue Memorandum Circular 99-2026.
The badge is free. Updating registration details online carries a P30 documentary stamp tax.
BIR Commissioner Charlito Martin Mendoza said a taxpayer will not be penalized just for leaving the badge off while the extension period runs.
Emman Tortoza
Emman has been writing technical and feature articles since 2010. Prior to this, he became one of the instructors at Asia Pacific College in 2008, and eventually landed a job as Business Analyst and Technical Writer at Integrated Open Source Solutions for almost 3 years.
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