THE Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) said that they will still go after a vlogger-couple who already deleted their social media channel in an apparent attempt to avoid paying taxes.
The couple, who reportedly had more than 11 million subscribers and earned between P50 to P100 million within two years from releasing interesting content online, managed to establish their own mansion and buy numerous luxury items.
The BIR believes that it was for the same reason that the two decided to remove their platform.
However, the BIR emphasized that the couple would still have to go through the regular tax-paying procedure just like other vloggers who are duly considered as self-employed in terms of work status.
The BIR likewise assured that they will still go after the couple even if they purposely shut down their social media account.
The agency further said that the vlogger couple signed off just days after Internal Revenue Commissioner Caesar Dulay declared a “full-blown tax investigation” among the country’s social media influencers.
According to the BIR, if the annual income of a vlogger ranges from P3 million and above, a 12 percent value-added tax is necessary to be paid but if less than the amount, the vlogger would have to pay only eight percent tax.
Meanwhile, vloggers who receive not more than P250,000 is subject to exemption.
On August 16, the BIR has first announced that it will probe and go after social media personalities not paying taxes through its Revenue Memorandum Circular No. 97-2021.
Dulay signed the memo after the agency received reports that some content creators who earn huge income have not been paying taxes, are not registered, and/or registered but under a different tax or business classification.
The BIR commissioner lastly asked social media influencers to cooperate and be honest when declaring their tax income because only then could they save themselves from getting charged with tax evasion.