P-Noy lauds BIR for efficient tax collection

MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino praised the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) anew yesterday for efficient tax collection that boosted the economy and increased funds for social services.

The President said that under his administration, the BIR showed continuous improvements in revenue collection performance, breaching the trillion-peso mark for the first time in its history in 2012 and further increased its collection to P1.3 trillion in 2014.

This year, the BIR is aiming for another record high: P1.5 trillion.

Aquino said BIR Commissioner Kim Henares did away with shortcuts and plugged loopholes in tax collection.

The President also praised BIR employees for their diligence and professionalism. He noted that apart from collecting taxes, the BIR has been working to raise awareness of tax procedures, promote transparency and strengthen its efforts against tax evasion.

Since the beginning of the Aquino administration, 380 tax evasion cases have been filed before the Department of Justice, almost three times the figure during the previous administration.

The BIR also ordered the closure of 107 establishments not paying the correct taxes in 2014.

In coordination with the Department of Finance and its attached Bureau of Customs, employees with questionable dealings were investigated and as a result, Aquino said 136 were slapped with charges, 16 suspended, 15 dismissed, four fined, two penalized with forfeiture of benefits and two were issued warnings.

The President added that one government employee had been jailed while four others were made responsible under the law.

He also commended the Tax Watch Campaign, which was launched in 2012 to report whether big companies and private individuals alike were paying the right taxes.

All the collections can be monitored by the people as “bosses” through the website, Pera ng Bayan.

The President also lauded the BIR’s “Angat Pa Pinas” and “Register, File and Pay” to encourage people to pay their taxes.

Aquino said he was really impressed with the BIR, noting that its collections could now be seen in roads and bridges that were constructed, completed structures after decades of neglect, electrification of sitios, irrigation, schoolchildren with classrooms and books, more beneficiaries of the conditional cash transfer program and 40 percent of the population who could now be treated for free in government hospitals.

He noted the gains in the economy as well as the confidence that the taxes the people paid were going back to them through infrastructure and services.