THE Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has increased its tax collection to P2.34 trillion as of November 2023, the Department of Finance (DOF) said Tuesday, January 9, 2024.
In a statement, the DOF said the November 2023 tax collection of BIR is 8.6 percent higher than its collection in the same month in 2022 which is at P2.16 trillion.
It attributed the improved tax collection performance to the intensified programs and initiatives to encourage taxpayer compliance, as well as the continuous implementation of tax enforcement activities and strict nationwide enforcement operations on the illicit trade of cigarettes, vape, and other excisable articles, as well as sweetened beverages, perfumes, and toilet water.
In March 2023, the BIR launched its Run After Fake Transactions (Raft) program, which resulted in the filing of charges against four ghost corporations with estimated tax liabilities of P25.5 billion; and three Corporate Buyers and their Officers, Accounting Firms, and Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) with total estimated tax liabilities of P17.9 billion.
The agency also filed 15 criminal cases against buyers and sellers of ghost receipts against a total of 69 respondents at the Department of Justice (DOJ), covering estimated tax liabilities totaling P1.8 billion.
The BIR also filed a total of 221 cases before the DOJ with estimated tax liabilities of P13.24 billion from January to November 2023 under its Run After Tax Evaders (Rate) program, which aims to promote taxpayer compliance and confidence in the tax systems.
Also, 38 cases with an estimated tax liability of P5.06 billion were filed with the Court of Tax Appeals (CTA) during the said period.
“From January to November 2023, the BIR was also able to collect P410.94 million and issue 186 closure orders for businesses found to violate essential value-added tax (VAT) requirements through its Oplan Kandado Program,” the DOF said.
As of November 2023, the DOF said taxpayers who filed their taxes electronically versus manually comprised 69 percent of total filers.
It said it reflects a breakthrough in the BIR’s continuous efforts to make tax compliance more convenient and accessible for all.
The BIR earlier said it is strengthening its Digital Transformation (DX) Program in a bid to convert the Bureau into a data-driven organization by utilizing reliable, scalable, and robust digital technologies that elevate taxpayer experience.
Some projects under the DX Program are the Online Registration and Update System (Orus), Project 230X, Online Tax Clearance, Electronic Invoicing/ Receipting and Sales Reporting System (EIS), Enhancement of One-Time Transaction (Onett) System, Optimized Chatbot Revie, Enhanced Digital Queueing System, and E-Appointment services.
“I commend the BIR for consistently delivering higher revenues for the country, which are much-needed to support the Marcos Jr. administration’s priority programs and projects. We have much to accomplish in 2024. Thus, I urge the agency to not just meet, but exceed its collection targets this year and beyond,” Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno said. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)