Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Commissioner Caesar Dulay said compromise agreements with erring taxpayers, which were done within the bounds of the law, helped the agency collect taxes.

During the virtual Tax Campaign kick-off Wednesday, Dulay thanked taxpayers’ cooperation in ensuring that government collects the needed revenues.

“So ngayong 2021 tuluy-tuloy (This will be continued this 2021). I appeal to the taxpayers to take advantage, first, of the amnesty and second, to the program of compromise agreement,” he said.

BIR’s Tax Amnesty on Delinquencies (TAD) program, implemented in line with the Tax Amnesty Law, was originally set for implementation only until December 31, 2020. Its deadline was extended until end-June 2021 to heed the policies under the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act.

Relatively, the Voluntary Assessment and Payment Program (VAPP) allows taxpayers to voluntarily settle their unpaid taxes, with or without an ongoing audit or investigation. Interested parties will not be audited for their 2018 taxes.

As of November 2020, BIR said it has collected more than PHP200 million from these two programs within three months after their implementation.

Last year, the BIR exceeded its collection target of PHP1.68 trillion after revenues reached PHP1.94 trillion.

Relatively, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III, during the same event, said BIR’s digitalization program will provide the agency further traction to increase its revenue collection performance and hopefully surpass its PHP2.08 trillion revenue goal.

“Now more than ever, the whole nation relies on the Bureau of Internal Revenue’s bold commitment to provide the revenues needed to support our people and push our country forward towards a strong economic recovery,” he said.

Earlier, Dominguez said about 85 percent of BIR’s collection last year was coursed through electronic channels. 

Image source: Freepik

Article source: PNA