SSS, BIR forge partnership to boost compliance, data sharing

MANILA, Aug. 3 — The Social Security System (SSS) and the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) have signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at strengthening coordination on tax and social security compliance, improving data sharing and streamlining government services, the state-run pension fund said.

The memorandum of understanding (MOU), signed on Friday at the BIR National Office in Quezon City, provides a framework for closer institutional cooperation between the two agencies in carrying out their respective mandates, according to an SSS statement.

The agreement also lays the groundwork for a separate memorandum of agreement that will govern specific collaborative projects, including the use of the Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) as a common identifier across the SSS and the BIR.

The agencies said adopting the TIN as a shared identifier is intended to improve data integrity, strengthen compliance monitoring and support efforts to make doing business easier.

SSS President and Chief Executive Officer Robert Joseph M. De Claro said closer coordination would help improve compliance while enhancing public service delivery.

“We all recognize that taxes provide the resources that enable our government to deliver essential programs and services to the Filipino people. Likewise, social security contributions are the lifeblood of SSS operations, allowing us to provide meaningful protection and financial security to millions of workers, pensioners and their families,” De Claro said in the statement.

He added that closer collaboration would help create “a more coordinated and responsive government” by making compliance easier and improving service delivery.

BIR Commissioner Charlito Martin R. Mendoza said the agreement establishes a foundation for sustained cooperation between the agencies.

“Our mandates may be different, but our work is closely connected. Government works best when institutions trust one another enough to share responsibility, information and expertise,” Mendoza said.

He said the partnership’s success would be measured by “simpler processes, stronger coordination, better informed decisions and more effective public service.”

The SSS said details of specific joint initiatives will be covered by a separate memorandum of agreement to be developed under the partnership.