Monday, December 03, 2007 BIR-Abra exceeds collections goal
THE Abra Revenue District Office topped this year’s revenue collections in Cordillera, particularly in overshooting their target collections from January to October 2007.
Dr. Elmer Paderes, Abra revenue district officer, said his office generated a total of P93,090,449.40 from January to October or an increase of P2,472,449.40, representing 2.73 percent over its goal of P90,618,000 for the same period last year.
Compared to its previous performance, the Revenue District Office was able to realize P76,274,757.99 tax collections. This showed an increase of P16,815,691.41, representing an increase of 22.05 percent.
In the overall ranking of the provinces in actual revenue collections, Abra placed second in Cordillera.
The Abra District Office is working double time to overshoot its target goals for the remaining two months of the year to sustain their ranking as well as to help government raise the revenues it needs in the national budgetary allocations.
For October, Memo Badere, head of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR)-Abra Collection Section, reported a 6.94 percent average in their actual collections of more than P8.29 million against the target goal of P7.75 million or an increase by P538,396.65.
Major source of tax collections came from voluntary compliance of tax papers. These are augmented by the enforcement in the collections of delinquent accounts and the result of investigations. This was why the BIR-Abra had been conducting massive tax monitoring on all types of businesses, especially in the capital town of Bangued. The tax bureau investigates people with unexplained wealth or those with high-rise buildings but who have not been paying their correct taxes.
Paderes also appealed to all local government units (LGUs) in the province, particularly the mayors and treasurers, to remit their correct taxes due the government as their remittance would go back to them in the form of the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) share.
It may be noted that a substantial amount or withholding taxes the previous years as well as the current year remain uncollected from the LGUs.
Collections supervisor Severo Wacnang reminded newly-elected barangay officials to fill up their enrollment forms for their participation in the collection and implementation of the five-percent value-added tax (VAT) and the additional one percent expanded-VAT.
Paderes warned taxpayers that the BIR can enforce its taxing power against delinquent taxpayers or tax evaders. However, he reminded taxpayers that they can avail of the tax amnesty program of the National Government as per Republic Act (RA) 9480 signed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as implemented by Department Order 2907 to encourage taxpayers to update their tax paying status. Taxable period covered the previous years for all national income tax, state tax, donor’s tax, capital gains tax, VAT, other percentage taxes, excise tax, documentary stamp tax.
Only the withholding tax is not covered by the tax amnesty program as this is deemed collected by authorized tax collection agents but only failed to remit the same. Failure to remit withholding taxes is still subject to fines and penalties as provided for in the national tax law.
