THE Bureau of Internal Revenue in Cebu (BIR 13) might see a challenging year for tax collection as the Covid-19 crisis hits business activities.
BIR 13 officials said they’re on a wait and see mode on the pandemic’s impact on tax take, but they urged taxpayers to pay the right taxes as the tax filing season kicks in.
Revenue officer Rainier Joseph Viacrucis told a government press conference Tuesday, March 17, 2020, that collections in February and March, which saw the escalation of the public health crisis, were likely to be affected.
Christine Grace Zamora, lawyer at BIR 13, reported the regional office hiked its collection in January by 12.17 percent to P3.917 billion from P3.492 billion in January 2019.
“Despite this (the Covid-19), rest assured the BIR will continue its monitoring of taxpayers,” Viacrucis said.
Zamora said the tax collecting agency was bent on seeking ways to meet its collection target despite the economic crisis.
In a national report, the Department of Finance said it will not extend the April 15 deadline for filing and paying taxes, but leeway may be given to taxpayers affected by the month-long lockdown of Metro Manila.
Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III clarified that the BIR cannot push back the tax filing deadline as it was set under the law.
BIR 13 hasn’t changed its official tax target for 2020.
BIR 13, which collects taxes in Cebu and Bohol, is tasked to collect P38.62 billion this year.
In 2019, it collected P34.359 billion, surpassing its P32.879 billion goal.
Meanwhile, the tax bureau has urged taxpayers to file tax returns and pay taxes ahead of the April 15 deadline.
Tax returns filed and taxes paid after the deadline will be slapped with the corresponding penalties as provided for in the Tax Code.
Penalties include 25 percent surcharge, 20 percent interest per year and compromise penalty. (CSL)