The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) unveiled on Thursday its new logo during its 120th anniversary.
Its previous logo had not been changed for the past 60 years, the BIR said.
Earlier, the BIR held a logo-making contest with the best entry to be rewarded P100,000.
The logo, BIR Commissioner Romeo D. Lumagui Jr. said, was a mix of logos that was submitted for the contest.
One of the factors that led to the decision to have the logo changed for the first time since the bureau’s establishment was due to the “negative perception” that it entails, Lumagui Jr. said.
"The new BIR logo was created through the artistic contributions of both taxpayers and revenuers. It symbolizes the inclusive approach of the BIR dealing with taxpayers, such that certain elements of the new logo came from a taxpayer," the BIR chief said.
The bureau also reported its 100 percent Nationwide ISO Certification and new web portal, which marks the shift of BIR into a more service-oriented agency.
The new web portal aims to create a balance between convenience in accessing tax information, BIR updates, eServices, and an impression of professionalism and modernity in the 21st century.
Meanwhile, the ISO Certification covers both the Operations Group (Revenue Regions, Revenue District Offices) and the Large Taxpayer Service (LTS).
The ISO Certification for the Revenue Regions and Revenue District Offices covered: a) Business Registration Process; b) Process of Retrieval and Verification of Batch Control Sheet Reports and Tax Returns from Authorized Agent Banks; c) Processing and Issuance of Tax Clearance and Certificates; d) Standards on the Processing of One Time Transactions; and e) Processing of tax returns in the Document Processing Division particularly on Document Control and Data Capture Processes.
The ISO Certification for the LTS covered its most important taxpayer service-related processes: a) Registration Process [Certificate of Registration, Authority to Print Receipts, and Books of Accounts]; b) Collection Process [Tax Clearance for Bidding Purposes, and Delinquency Verification Certificate]; and c) ONETT Process [the onerous transfer of shares of stock not traded through the local stock exchange, and the donation of real and personal properties].
"Ang aming 100 percent Nationwide ISO certification, bagong BIR logo, at bagong BIR web portal ay nagsisilbing simbolo ng aming katapatan sa Bagong Pilipinas. Ang tagumpay na ito ay hindi lamang tagumpay ng BIR, ito rin ay tagumpay ng ating mga taxpayers na makakaranas ng mas-maganda at mas-mabilis na serbisyo sa aming ahensiya. Ito po ang Bagong BIR, sa Bagong Pilipinas," Lumagui said.
[Our 100 percent Nationwide ISO certification, new BIR logo, and new BIR web portal serve as symbols of our commitment to the New Philippines. This success is not just the success of the BIR; it is also the success of our taxpayers who will experience better and faster service in our agency. This is the New BIR in the New Philippines.]