TUGUEGARAO CITY, Cagayan (PIA) — The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Revenue Region 3 has reported tax collections of P9.49 billion from January to August 2024, marking a 13.02 percent increase compared to P8.40 billion collection performance in 2023.
Revenue District Number 15 in Isabela led the performance with P4.34 billion, followed by Revenue District Number 13 in Cagayan/Batanes with P3.44 billion, Revenue District Number 14 in Nueva Vizcaya with P1.28 billion, and Revenue District Number 16 in Quirino, which contributed P412.8 million.
Assistant Regional Director Nasrollah B. Conding attributed the rise in tax collections to intensified campaigns and strategies aimed at encouraging business operators to fulfill their tax obligations.
For August, he noted that each revenue district exceeded its monthly collection targets, reflecting overall growth.
“A significant portion of the collections came from Isabela, the largest province in the region. Variations in collection performance across district offices were evident, with some districts outperforming others,” Conding stated.
In the Cagayan Valley Region, the primary source of tax revenue is withholding taxes from employees, followed by contributions from business establishments. Mining companies operating in the area directly remit their taxes to the BIR central office, as they fall under the ‘large’ taxpayer category.
Conding expressed optimism about surpassing the agency’s collection targets for the year, citing positive trends observed in the collection performance over the past three quarters.
“We foresee a promising outlook for this year’s collections, driven by increased overall tax revenue, improved compliance rates, and higher recovery of tax arrears,” he added.
He emphasized the importance of investing in digital transformation, simplifying the tax code, and broadening the tax base to enhance collection efforts further and support long-term fiscal sustainability. (OTB/PIA Region 2)
