SAN PABLO CITY, Laguna (PIA) — The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Region 9B LaQueMar (Laguna-Quezon-Marinduque) prioritizes the strengthened coordination with micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to increase tax collection this year.
Lawyer Dante E. Tan, Regional Director of BIR Region 9B, stated that they plan to bolster their education and information strategies to the public in order to increase tax collection, while reaching out to various industries, including MSMEs.
“We hope to collect additional taxes and also continue or expand our tax base by reaching out to small and medium enterprises. As we know, Region 9B has many medium and small enterprises, so we should not overlook them,” Tan said.
To support this initiative, BIR plans to conduct seminars and tax mapping to further assist and educate businesses, ensuring to remind them of their tax obligations, as MSMEs serve as an engine of economic growth.
Based on the data provided by BIR Region 9B, there are a total of 243,107 registered taxpayers in Calabarzon, composed of 130,539 single proprietors, 47,520 professionals, 46,192 corporations, 18,401 individuals, and 455 cooperatives.
This number of taxpayers has contributed to the 2024 tax collection of BIR Region 9B, amounting to almost 44.8 billion pesos, 12-percent higher than in 2023.
“In 2024, Region 9B collected over 44.8 billion pesos for the entire year. Although it fell slightly short of our target, it was still higher than the collection in 2023, with an increase of nearly 12%,” Tan explained.
Aside from strengthening its tax collection and reaching out to various industries and businesses, BIR commits in simplifying payment and registration processes by digitalizing the tax system.
Taxpayers are encouraged to use BIR’s online services for a more convenient way to handle transactions, allowing them to make payments or complete registrations from the comfort of their homes or anywhere they are.
In pursuing these initiatives, BIR is optimistic that the tax collection for 2025 and beyond will pass the full collection target, similar to how the full collection target for 2024 was achieved after two decades. (CO/PIA-4A)
