The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) is piloting an online system that records the status, physical location, and chain of custody of official documents as they move between offices.
Under Revenue Memorandum Order No. 21-2026, issued on Aug. 13, the Document Tracking and Management System (DTMS) assigns each document a system-generated Document Control Number. Authorized personnel can use the system to receive, track, manage, and store records.
The pilot covers the Resource Management Group, Administrative Service, Records Management Division, and a section of the General Services Division. Physical documents will continue to be transmitted during the pilot.
Documents covered include memoranda, letters, requests for tax case verification or information, active tax case dockets, requests for tax case retrieval, and confidential information.
The BIR said access is restricted to authorized users and document handling is subject to its Data Privacy Manual.
“Strengthening our internal processes is also part of improving taxpayer service. When our systems are more organized, traceable, and efficient, our people can act more promptly and effectively. In the end, stronger internal processes should translate into faster and more responsive service for our taxpayers,” BIR commissioner Charlito Martin Mendoza said.
The agency said the system is intended to reduce misplaced records and make it easier to determine which office has custody of a document. It did not specify when the pilot would end or whether the system would be rolled out across the BIR.
Meanwhile, the BIR has warned businesses against claims by electronic invoicing service providers and software developers that they are accredited or certified by the agency.
In a public advisory issued on Sept. 14, the BIR said it had received reports of entities advertising themselves as “BIR-Accredited,” “BIR-Certified,” “BIR-Compliant,” or “BIR-Authorized” providers of electronic invoicing and sales reporting systems.
“The BIR clarifies that as of the date of this Advisory, it has not accredited, authorized, certified, recognized, or endorsed any entity as an official BIR ESP, partner, representative, or solution provider of electronic invoicing and sales reporting systems,” the advisory said.
The agency said providers should not claim an official affiliation with the BIR in presentations, proposals, websites, social media posts, or other marketing materials. It advised the public to check such claims against official BIR issuances and communication channels.
The BIR also said it would temporarily stop accommodating meetings, product demonstrations, technical discussions, and similar requests from prospective providers while it finalizes the rules and accreditation framework for its Electronic Invoicing Program.
It said it would publish the requirements and procedures through its official channels once available.
