BIR on right track

The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) is hitting the ground running. In the first four months of 2023, it surpassed its collection target by ₱14.319 billion.

In particular, BIR Commissioner Romeo D. Lumagui Jr. cited the agency’s ₱336.02-billion collection in April, surpassing its goal for the month by ₱35.114 billion. The April 2023 collection, outside of tax refunds, is also higher by ₱96.416 billion compared to April 2022.

“We reached our goal for January to April of 2023 in a historic feat by hitting the collection goal for each month,” Lumagui told the media when he reported the BIR’s accomplishment last month. “In the last 30 years, this feat was only done a handful of times.”

For the April 2023 collection, Lumagui attributed the successful collection effort to improved voluntary compliance of taxpayers.

“It is an indication that many Filipinos heeded the agency’s call to file their 2022 annual income tax returns on time and to pay the correct taxes to support the government’s various development projects,” the state’s top tax collector said. “In the days to come, we hope to see a continuous improvement in the level of voluntary compliance as the bureau continues to implement programs and projects to make payment of taxes easy.”

Taxpayers’ cooperation and support are necessary to enable the BIR to hit or even surpass its 2023 goal of collecting ₱2.599 trillion in taxes. This year’s collection target is higher than the actual collection in 2022 by ₱256.444 billion.

Raising ₱2.599 trillion is a gargantuan task, but taxpayers can make the job of the BIR easier by religiously and honestly paying their taxes on time.

Compliance, both by the government tax collectors and the taxpayers, is the key in meeting this revenue target. Revenue officers should meet their obligation by performing their sworn duty of collecting taxes to the hilt without fear or favor. On the other hand, taxpayers should comply with their obligation of paying the correct taxes religiously and on time.

Commissioner Lumagui has started the ball rolling by marshaling his men to come up with a commendable revenue collection effort for the first four months of the year.

He needs all the support, both by the men and women of the BIR and the taxpayers, as well, to come up with the revenue needed to meet the financial requirements of the economic programs of President Marcos’ administration.

We hope everyone will play his or her role in this tax collection effort to enable the economy, which was severely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, to recover.

Credit belongs to : www.mb.com.ph