BIR eyes 20 million taxpayers by end of P-Noy's term

MANILA, Philippines - The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) is eyeing to increase the number of taxpayers to 20 million by the end of the Aquino administration’s term, its top official said.

To do this, the agency would have to increase the number of taxpayers by roughly two million every year until 2016.

At present, there are about 11.9 million taxpayers in the country, BIR Commissioner Kim Henares said. “We want to bring this to 20 million by 2016,” Henares told The STAR.

She said measures would be undertaken to widen the tax base as much as possible. “We want to make sure we will increase the number of registered taxpayers,” she said.

At present, the BIR estimates that there are about 20 million tax evaders in the country. The agency has been stepping up efforts to curb tax evasion.

It has been filing before the Department of Justice (DOF) cases against tax evaders every other week.

Despite the stepped-up measures, the agency is still having a difficult time plugging the tax leaks.

The BIR collected P88.15 billion in May, 1.7 percent below the target of P89.72 billion for the period.

However, compared to revenues in May last year of P79.05 billion, the BIR’s collections last month were 11.5 percent or P9.10 billion higher.

Henares recognized that there are a lot of measures that still needs to be done.

Earlier this year, the BIR put in place a package of reforms to improve its business processes and systems.

It has come up with a strategic plan that would list priority programs that would serve as the BIR’s guide for reforms over the next five years.

The May collections brought the BIR’s five-month revenues to P391.09 billion, 13.7 percent or P46.99 billion higher than year-ago collections of P344.10 billion.

For the whole year, the BIR is tasked to collect P940 billion or higher than last year’s goal of P860 billion.

The agency, which accounts for 70 percent of state revenues, has been stepping up efforts to boost collections.

It would be utilizing $54.30 million from the United States Millennium Challenge Corp. (MCC) for reforms, particularly the modernization of the revenue collection system.

The $54.30 million is part $434 million grant from the US MCC.

Under the agreement, the government would use part of the grant for its Revenue Administration Reform Project (RARP).

The project would be used to reduce “tax evasion and corruption” through reforms at BIR.