Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) commissioner Romeo D. Lumagui Jr. on Thursday, Aug. 3, declared the mandatory nature of the benefits given to Senior Citizens (SC) and Persons with Disabilities (PWD) for qualified purchases made online or through mobile applications.
According to Lumagui, the discount is categorically is stated in Revenue Regulations No. 8-2023 issued by the BIR.
Lumagui also stated that the signature of the SC/PWD is not required if the qualified purchase was made online or through mobile applications. However, the SC/PWD identification card number should still be provided.
“Online platforms should recognize the mandatory discounts given to Senior Citizens and Persons with Disabilities. The BIR has issued RR No. 8-2023 to this effect. The signature of the SC/PWD is not needed if the purchase is made through online means. The SC/PWD Identification Card number should still be provided,” Lumagui stated.
Meanwhile, Senior Citizen party-list congressman Rodolfo Ordanes Jr. said he will ask Congress to summon various agencies of the government and online selling platforms to determine the current implementation of the discount for mga seniors and PWDs.
In a separate statement, Ordanes said, “It is necessary to find out the compliance levels for both online transactions and real-world sales, so we can find ways to plug loopholes encountered during implementation.”
“For online transactions, there should be a quick way for the mobile apps or platforms to verify the PWD identification ID and numbers presented before delivery riders are dispatched to the location of the persons who placed orders. This is the crucial part which requires compliance with the Know Your Customer rules and interface with a database of verified PWD numbers and IDs,” Ordanes explained.
Ordanes noted that “compliance levels right now are not where they should be because some apps do not meet the 20-percent discount based on the purchase of the seniors.”
“Some discount vouchers being given do not go up to 20 percent. Some are at P60. Worse, some online sellers and platforms are not giving the discounts at all.”
