Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Wednesday, May 29 urged the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to enhance its information dissemination campaign on the changes brought about by the Ease of Paying Taxes Act, particularly on the issuance of invoices in place of official receipts to ensure that taxpayers are well-informed about the said changes.

“All applications and communications with the BIR should be conducted through online channels and taxpayers should not be required to visit BIR branches in person,” Gatchalian said. 

“Further, enterprises must be allowed to use all of their existing OR booklets without expiration,” he said. 

Under the new EOPT law, sales commercial invoices or official receipts are now both referred to simply as “invoice.”

Also under the law, terms such as “gross selling price” or “gross receipts” are now simplified into “gross sales” whether if it is goods or services being sold.

Beforehand, sales of goods and services are marked with distinction through separate documents like sales or commercial invoices and official receipts.

But with the passage of the EOPT, the shift to accrual basis for both goods and services is adopted and a single document is now mandated for simplify the process.

“Needless to say, the BIR should ensure that the implementation of this particular provision of the law, intended to streamline issuance of proof of transactions, will not entail additional cost and burden on enterprises, especially those belonging to the micro, small and medium sector,” Gatchalian said.