MATI CITY, Davao Oriental (PIA) – As the April 15 tax deadline draws near, the Bureau of Internal Revenue-Revenue District Office (BIR-RDO 114) in Mati City is again reminding taxpayers in Davao Oriental to file their 2024 Income Tax Returns (ITR) and settle the necessary tax dues to avoid penalties.
During her guesting on Ronda Oriental with PIA, BIR OIC-assistant revenue district officer Irene A. Balleque emphasized that no directive from their central office regarding a deadline extension had been issued so far.
“So far, wala tayong advisory coming from the national office na mayroong extension. So ibig sabihin deadline is deadline. So wala pang extension,” she explained.
(So far, we have no advisory coming from the national office regarding the extension. So that means the deadline is the deadline. So, no extension yet.)
Balleque also reiterated that manual processing is no longer accepted, emphasizing that filing the 2024 ITR and paying taxes must now be online, as mandated by the Ease of Paying Taxes (EOPT) Act.
“So karon na (this) year, no manual filing of annual income tax return shall be allowed sa BIR frontline offices except during unavailability or inaccessibility of the BIR electronic platform during BIR announced system downline,” she explained.
However, Balleque said they have facilities such as the e-Lounge in every BIR office that can assist taxpayers in filing their 2024 ITR and paying taxes online.
Balleque revealed that their e-Lounge will extend its operation to two Saturdays, particularly on April 5 and April 12, to accommodate more taxpayers, especially those who have connectivity issues.
“Maghatag mi’g priority sa mga taxpayer na walay internet facility ug nanginahnaglan sila’g assistance sa electronic filing sa ilang mga returns ug ang pagbayad sa taxes due nila,” she shared.
(We will prioritize taxpayers who do not have internet facilities and are seeking assistance in the electronic filing of their returns and paying their tax dues.)
Aside from this facility, Balleque said that taxpayers can also ask for assistance in filing their 2024 ITR and paying their taxes through a third-party service provider (TSP).
Moreover, Balleque said that they also have revenue collection officers (RCOs) in every municipality in the province to assist taxpayers in far-flung areas in filing their ITR and paying their taxes.
“May mga munisipyo talaga na mahina yung internet connection; for those munisipyo may mga RCO naman lahat, and they are advised to stay put during two consecutive Saturdays,” she said.
(There are municipalities where the internet connection is really weak; those municipalities all have RCOs, and they are advised to stay put for two consecutive Saturdays.)
Aside from filing annual ITRs and paying taxes online, Balleque said taxpayers can now also file their ITRs and pay taxes anywhere, not just at the certain BIR office where they are registered.
Meanwhile, BIR-RDO 114-Mati group supervisor Ann Jeanith D. Malinuca reiterated that all Filipino citizens earning income—whether within or outside the Philippines—are required to file their Income Tax Returns.
This also includes domestic corporations, partnerships, and joint ventures, whether exempt or not, as well as non-resident citizens engaged in business in the Philippines, she added.
“Even job order na dili kaabot og 250,000 magfile gihapon sila and then i-submit nila to sa online and then hulaton nila tong confirmation, i-print nila ang return and confirmation,” she said.
(Even if job order workers earn less than 250,000, they will still file ITR, submit it online, and then wait for the confirmation; they will print the return and confirmation.)
Malinuca emphasized that failure to file, or even late filing of the ITR, will result in penalties—specifically, a surcharge equivalent to twenty-five percent (25%) of the amount due, on top of the tax that must be paid.
“Kung wala mo ka-file, makit-an man gud na sa system since register ka sa BIR.M-capture if ever wala nag-file ang isa ka taxpayer o wala nagbayad,” she shared.
(If you have not filed, the system will find it since you are registered with the BIR. The system will capture if a taxpayer has never filed the ITR or paid their taxes.)
Balleque revealed that for 2025, BIR-RDO 114-Mati is targeting to collect P1,657,152 in taxes—an increase of nearly 15 percent from the previous year’s collection goal. (ASO/PIA Davao Oriental)
