PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan (PIA) -- The local revenue district office (RDO) of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) collected ₱3.97 billion in 2023 and is optimistic about hitting the ₱4.89 billion target in 2024.
Officer-in-charge Revenue District Officer Rodante Caballero said that the collection is 98 percent of the ₱4 billion target in 2023. The bulk of the collection came from the tourism industry, including businesses in hotels, restaurants, and transportation. The government units and agencies also contributed to a large portion of the bureau's collection.
Caballero explained that missing two percent of its target was because of the transfer of other taxpayers to the large taxpayers division, which was no longer in the collection jurisdiction of RDO No. 36.
“Siguro meron mga taxpayer na previously registered dito na nag-transfer sa large taxpayers division. Iyong malaking portion na collection na inaasahan sana namin, hindi actually nawala kung hindi ay na-transfer lang ng ibang jurisdiction,” he said.
BIR RDO No. 36 shows in a presentation its tax collection versus its target in 2023. (Photo by Rachel Ganancial)
Regional Director of Revenue Region 6-Manila Renato Molina said the region is required to collect ₱72 billion, which is about 23 percent higher than the actual 2023 collection.
“The growth rate na binigay sa amin ay 23 something percent compared sa actual collection last year. Ganon kalaki ang collection target—almost 70 to 80 percent ng budget sa BIR kinukuha,” he said.
The contributions of businesses and local government units will be helpful for the collection. Caballero, on the other hand, said that RDO No. 36 is positive in meeting the 2024 target as the increase in collection has already been noticed in the first two months of the year.
The bureau has already recorded a five- to six-percent excess out of the P1 billion target for the first quarter in Palawan.
“Hindi pa tapos ang first quarter namin ay nasa halos six percent increase na kami doon sa tentative target, based sa additional 23 percent. Sa goal na na-set for the first quarter meron na kaming excess na five to six percent—positive kami ma-meet ang goal basta magtuloy-tuloy lang ang economy,” he said.
BIR is also bringing itself closer to the taxpayers, not just to collect but to offer its services, believing that it will encourage voluntary compliance among them, he added. (RG/PIA Mimaropa - Palawan)
