BIR kicks off tax campaign in Davao

DAVAO CITY- The Bureau of Internal Revenue has kicked off its annual tax campaign aimed at meeting the bureau’s tax collection target.

BIR Deputy Commissioner Nelson Aspe said that BIR’s tax collection goal for 2013 is set at P1.2 trillion.

Last 2012, BIR narrowly missed its collection goal of P1.066 trillion as the Bureau collected P1.057 trillion or 98% of the target. However Aspe said that the collection figures grew by about 14% from 2011.

Aspe said they are expecting P30-40 billion collections from the implementation of the Sin Tax law.

The BIR will intensify programs on enforcement, improved delivery of services and strict compliance from taxpayers.

Among BIR’s continuous reform programs is the use of technology one of which is the use of the Mobile Revenue Collection Officers System (MRCOS) a web based program where data on collections and receipts is transmitted to data centers in real-time.

MRCOS is capable of encoding tax filing and payment information as well as printing of the corresponding Revenue Official Receipt, Official Receipt and Acknowledgement Receipt through the use of handheld devices.

Revenue Region 19 (Davao)Regional Director Glenn Geraldino  said that Davao collected about P10.1 billion last year, however P9.1 billion was only credited to the office as the collections from the top 14 taxpayers was excluded from them. The collection figures is P1-billion more as compared to 2011.

Geraldino said they are asking for a decrease in revenue collection goals because of the impact of typhoon Pablo which hit the region in December 4 of last year. Geraldino said that aside from coconut and banana plantations other supply industries like agricultural chemicals and trucking were likewise affected by the destruction.

The Davao Revenue Region aims to focus on its RATE (Run After Tax Evaders Program), Oplan Kandado (Padlock) of which 200 establishments are under surveillance on suspicion of underdeclaration of sales and non-issuance of proper receipts. Another focus is the implementation of SLSP or the Summary List of Sales and Purchase. 

SLSPs involves Value-Added Tax registered establishments being required to submit their list of sales and purchases. In the Davao Region only 50% have complied with the provisions of SLSP, the revenue region office is expecting a 100% compliance for the process.

SLSP can be used to cross match actual sales and receipts and can be used  to tag erring establishments for its Oplan Kandado program. (PIA/RG Alama)