BIR posts 14% hike in November take

The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) reported yesterday a 14.31-percent increase in its collection for the month of November this year to P28.5 billion from P24.9 billion in the same period in 1999.

"It is an encouraging sign for the BIR and for the government in its revenue-generating efforts," Internal Revenue Commissioners Dakila Fonacier said.

Fonacier said given the recent events that had buffeted the Philippine economy, the bureau had not expected to surpass its collection performance for November 1999.

He said that the 19 regional offices collectively had the largest contribution to the November collection, an increase of P3.01 billion or 31.2 percent over the total collection for the same month last year.

According to Fonacier, the Large Taxpayers Service (LTS) also surpassed its collection target for November 1999, by 15.27 percent, posting a surplus of P1.29 billion.

The Excise Tax Service, on the other hand, failed to match its November 1999 collection performance, registering a decline of 10.83 percent to P738 million.

The top five regional offices that registered surpluses over their respective November collection goals are Iloilo with a 29.43-percent increase over last year, Cebu City with 24.6 percent, and Legaspi City with 23.75 percent. Zamboanga City also posted a surplus of 19.89 percent while Cagayan de Oro City registered 15.95 percent.

As this developed, Fonacier warned business establishments, particularly those located in Metro Manila, against fake BIR personnel posing as members of the surveillance group created by the bureau.

In Revenue Memorandum Order No. 54-2000, the BIR chief set policies and procedures for the conduct of surveillance on the business operations of any person, individual or corporate, in order to establish a prima facie basis for the assessment of internal revenue tax liabilities.

He said this issuance is in line with the BIR’s program to intensify campaign against unregistered businesses that continue to violate tax laws.

"This is the very reason why revenue officers assigned to implement the bureau’s surveillance program are not grounded this December as normally done by his office."