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Thursday, March 16, 2006
Revenue bureau ups tax collection target by 30%
By Rachel M. Nessia
THE Bureau of Internal Revenue in Negros Oriental is stepping up collection efforts to sustain its record of continually exceeding its goals in the last five years.
This year's tax collection target is P985 million, P15 million short of P1 billion, the highest goal BIR has set since 2000.
"In fact our goal this year is 30 percent more than the total tax we collected last year," said Jose Senador, chief of the taxpayers' service section of the revenue bureau in the province.
Senador said the revenue office has started adopting new measures to generate revenues for the government as well as to meet its target.
"Later part last year, we tried collecting taxes by telephone brigade, which was found very effective," he said.
Some of the big taxpayers in Dumaguete City paid substantial amounts by way of appeal and not by threat or garnishment, Senador explained.
But the revenue bureau issued warrants of garnishment to two big taxpayers in the city that were delinquent in tax payments last year. He did not name the firms.
"We hope that we will not always resort to this kind of collection," said Senador.
Complaints vs lending firms
Meanwhile, Senador said the agency is set to conduct a tax mapping for lending institutions sprouting in Dumaguete City.
He said his office has received at least 21 complaints from borrowers of lending institutions.
"The scenario is like this: lending investors are lending money to middle class or below middle class borrowers. Panahon kolektahan sila, magipit sila, they fail to pay so the lending company will file a collection case against them in court. The borrowers then come to us and file a counter-case against these lending companies for not issuing receipts," Senador explained.
But as long as the complaint is properly documented, he said, their office could immediately impose a sanction against the firm for non-issuance of receipt.
The penalty ranges from P10,000 to P20,000 and four to six years imprisonment.
(March 16, 2006 issue)
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