Bulk of BIR collections settled online

MANILA, Philippines — The bulk of the taxes collected by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) from January to September was settled through electronic means, as more Filipinos resorted to digital transactions amid community lockdowns, the Department of Finance (DOF) said yesterday.

Citing preliminary data from the BIR, the DOF said P1.241 trillion or 86 percent of the bureau’s P1.45 trillion collection as of end-September was generated from online payment channels.

In total, the number of tax returns filed electronically from January to September reached 16.45 million, accounting for 94 percent of the 17.42 million total tax returns filed during the period.

According to the DOF, the BIR and the Bureau of Customs (BOC) have continued their digitalization efforts even amid the pandemic to facilitate trade, improve tax administration and curb corruption.

The BIR, for one, has allowed the use of the PayMaya mobile wallet starting Feb. 14 as an additional payment channel for taxpayers.

It also began the pilot implementation of its web-based Internal Revenue Integrated System (IRIS) last April 21.

The BIR said IRIS, which will serve as the bureau’s central tool and repository to process taxpayers’ information, is targeted to be available nationwide by the end of 2021.

The bureau also launched An Electronic Audited Financial System on June 1 to allow business taxpayers to electronically submit their financial statements to the BIR.

Last month, the BIR also launched its web-based procurement, payment, inventory and monitoring system and its online application for tax clearance for bidding purposes.

It also expects to launch this month the One-Time Transactions (ONETT) Tracking System and its Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) Verifier mobile application for taxpayers.

The BOC, meanwhile, partnered with the Bureau of the Treasury and the Development Bank of the Philippines last June 9 to allow the collection of customs duties and taxes through PayMaya.

It  also unveiled  its Customs Service Center in February, which functions as a centralized document receiving and releasing area, information kiosk, and payment booth.

To date, the center has been established in 13 major ports nationwide. The goal is to establish them in all BOC collection districts.

The BOC has also rolled out the Electronic  Tracking of Containerized Cargo System and Inventory Management System which allow the real-time monitoring of goods.

The bureau is also using the Electronic Value Reference Information System to ascertain the veracity of any statement, document, or declaration presented for customs valuation purposes.