Thursday, January 03, 2008 Pampanga tops tax payment in C. Luzon By Albert B. Lacanlale
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- Pampanga has consistently led all Central Luzon provinces in terms of total tax collected for first three quarters of 2007, statistics from the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) showed.
While the BIR reported shortfall in its tax collection target for the past year, Pampanga's contribution to the country's coffers had been steady, at least from last year's first and third quarters.
Though slightly overtaken by Bulacan in the tax collection in September, the province remained in rank 1 if the quarterly average tax collections in the region were to be considered.
According to the revenue collection data by the National Statistics and Coordination Board (NSCB), Pampanga contributed a total of P910.25 million to the total P2.895 billion in taxes collected in Central Luzon from January to March 2007.
The following quarter, from April to June 2007, was no different, as Pampanga was the only province to shell out more than a billion pesos for the country's treasury. A total of P1.329 billion in revenues were collected from various business and individual taxpayers in the region, followed by Bulacan with only P811.99 million.
In the third quarter, except for September when Bulacan taxpayers paid about P699.35 million in revenues, Pampanga posted the highest tax payment -- P321.94 million in July and P413.43 in August.
Taxes collected in Pampanga contribute much in keeping the region as among the top tax bases of the BIR.
Next only to the National Capital Region (NCR) and Southern Tagalog-A or the Calabarzon area, Central Luzon delivered to the national treasury about P2.895 billion for the first quarter, P3.864 billion for the second quarter and P3.808 billion for third quarter.
Fourth quarter figures are not readily available as of Wednesday afternoon.
