How to Download and File Using the BIR eBIRForms Offline Package: Step-by-Step

The Offline eBIRForms Package is free BIR-distributed software that lets a taxpayer fill out, validate, and file tax returns electronically without needing eFPS enrollment. It is the standard e-filing route for individuals and businesses not required to use the BIR’s eFPS system, and the current version is 7.9.6.0, released under RMC No. 36-2026 on April 28, 2026.

This guide covers where to download it, how to fill up and submit a return, and how it differs from eFPS. For that broader comparison, see eFPS vs eBIRForms: Which One Do You Need to File With?; for eFPS enrollment specifically, see How to Enroll in BIR eFPS.

What is the eBIRForms Offline Package, and who uses it? #

The Offline eBIRForms Package is a Windows desktop application that replicates BIR forms electronically, validates entries, and lets a taxpayer submit the completed return online without eFPS. It exists because the BIR’s Ease of Paying Taxes (EOPT) Act implementing rules generally require electronic filing, but eFPS enrollment is mandatory only for specific taxpayer classes — large taxpayers, Top Withholding Agents, government agencies, and other categories the BIR names by regulation. Everyone else typically files through eBIRForms instead of paper returns.

Where do you download the current version, and what changed? #

Download the Offline eBIRForms Package directly from bir.gov.ph/ebirforms; taxpayers without internet access can get it at a BIR e-Lounge instead. Per RMC No. 36-2026, issued April 28, 2026, the current release is version 7.9.6.0, which added:

• BIR Form 1701-MS (August 2024 version), the simplified Annual Income Tax Return for individuals classified as micro or small taxpayers.
• New Alphanumeric Tax Codes (ATCs) for BIR Form 1601-EQ.
• An expanded TIN branch code field, widened from 3 to 5 digits.
• Updated foreign currency deposit tax rates.
• Bug fixes across several forms, including 0619-E, 1601-FQ, 1604-F, 1702Q, 1707, and 2000-OT.

A companion issuance, RMC No. 37-2026 (also dated April 28, 2026), amended an earlier circular to specifically allow BIR Form 1701-MS to be filed through this version of the package. Do not install a new version over an existing installation — the BIR’s own installation guidance recommends installing it in a separate directory or under a renamed file to avoid conflicts with a prior version’s saved return data.

How do you fill up and submit a return? #

Filling and submitting a return is a four-step cycle: fill up, validate, submit, and pay.

1. Install the downloaded package following the on-screen prompts, keeping any older installed version intact in a separate folder if you still need it for prior-period filings.
2. Fill up the applicable form (e.g., BIR Form 1701Q, 2550Q, or 1601-C) with the taxpayer’s TIN, RDO code, and period-specific figures.
3. Validate the form using the package’s built-in validation button — this catches missing required fields and basic computation errors before submission, similar in spirit to validating a DAT file before eSubmission.
4. Submit online through the package’s submission feature (requires internet access at this step even though data entry can be done offline), then pay any tax due through an accredited electronic payment channel.

The system returns a confirmation email — the Filing Reference Number and Tax Return Receipt Confirmation — which is the taxpayer’s proof of timely e-filing and should be kept alongside proof of payment.

Frequently asked questions #

What is the BIR eBIRForms Offline Package? #

The Offline eBIRForms Package is free desktop software distributed by the BIR that lets a taxpayer fill out, validate, and prepare BIR tax returns without an internet connection, then submit the completed return electronically through the BIR’s eBIRForms online submission system.

Where do I download the eBIRForms Offline Package? #

The current version is downloadable from the BIR’s official eBIRForms page at bir.gov.ph/ebirforms. Taxpayers without internet access can also get the installer at a BIR e-Lounge.

What is the latest eBIRForms version and what changed? #

As of RMC No. 36-2026 (issued April 28, 2026), the current version is 7.9.6.0, which added BIR Form 1701-MS for micro and small taxpayers, new ATCs for BIR Form 1601-EQ, an expanded TIN branch code field, updated foreign currency deposit tax rates, and various bug fixes.

Do I need eFPS if I already use the eBIRForms Offline Package? #

No, not necessarily. eBIRForms and eFPS are separate systems for different taxpayer groups — eFPS is mandatory for specific taxpayer classes (large taxpayers, top withholding agents, and others named by the BIR), while eBIRForms is the electronic filing route for taxpayers not required to use eFPS.

What happens after I submit a return through eBIRForms? #

After validating and submitting the return through the Offline Package’s online submission feature, the system sends a confirmation email (the Filing Reference Number/Tax Return Receipt Confirmation) that serves as proof of e-filing, which the taxpayer keeps together with proof of payment.

Summary #

The Offline eBIRForms Package — now version 7.9.6.0 under RMC No. 36-2026 — is how most taxpayers outside the mandatory eFPS group file electronically: download from bir.gov.ph/ebirforms, fill up and validate the form offline, then submit online and pay through an accredited channel, keeping the confirmation email as proof of filing. If your business later becomes a mandatory eFPS filer (for example, after receiving Top Withholding Agent status), see eFPS vs eBIRForms for what changes.