Thursday, March 13, 2008 BIR Negros set P4B target in 2008 By Karl G. Ombion
THE Bureau of Internal Revenue in Negros composed of the regional office and four revenue districts have set a P4 billion-collection target in the current year or a 20 percent increase from its 2007 target.
BIR OIC Regional Director Rodita B. Galanto in a press conference Wednesday to launch the BIR's tax collection season campaign said despite their shortfall in achieving their P3.7 billion target in 2007, their national office has set a higher target for Negros in order to encourage all the BIR officials and employees and their partner agencies to strive for more.
Galanto, who was joined by district Revenue Officers Cynthia Cabuguas of Victorias District, Arturro Acabal of Dumaguete, Ruth Alonte of Bacolod, Gil Tabanda of Binalbagan and Aynie Mandajohan Assistant Regional Director RR12, said that RR12 2007 actual collection had a shortfall of 9.94 percent or only P3.4 billion of P3.7 billion target.
She added however that their 2007 actual collection was still higher by 13 percent compared to their 2006 target and actual collection.
"We have all the reasons to set a higher target this year despite last year shortfall because there so much yet to collect and we are putting in place a number of strategies to increase collections and get the cooperation and support of the taxpayers; and we aim to land on the top 5 in the entire BIR agency," Galanto said.
Galanto also said BIR's voluntary compliance rate is still the top rater with 97 percent of total collections, while enforcement accounts only for 3 percent.
"We are hopeful to increase the voluntary compliance because of our sustained information dissemination and education among taxpayers, daily monitoring and reporting of collections and the introduction of the computer-based integrated tax collection system," she said.
Galanto said among their major objectives for the year are to exceed collection target; intensify audit and investigation; intensify collection enforcement; improve taxpayers satisfaction; improve taxpayer's base; improve knowledge management; improve the integrity, professionalism and competence and satisfaction of the agency's human resources; and the rationalization of their budget.
The director urged every taxpayer to visit the agency's website or visit the nearest district office to verify whether his/her taxpayer's income tax number (TIN) is really her/his or not. She explained that it is possible that some may have multiple TIN numbers for variety of reasons, but added that "the BIR issues TIN to a taxpayer only once in a lifetime."
She further appealed to all taxpayers to make efforts in paying their dues and on time because "the taxes are returned to the people via various government services and projects from the national down to the barangay."
"The Internal Revenue Allotment or IRA that LGUs received accounts for 73 percent of BIR collections, and the same is true for the national budget of the government," she added.
Galanto also announced the launching of the agency's computer-based integrated tax system on March 27-28.
Galanto said the agency will begin working until Saturday to rush up the loads of work, and had also made arrangements with all their authorized agent banks to extend their bank operations up to 5:00 in the afternoon to accommodate tax payers.
