COVI-19 IMPACT ON BIR COLLECTIONS. Abolhasan Balindiong, Bureau of Internal Revenue assistant district revenue officer for Davao Region, says Wednesday (March 11) that the 2019 coronavirus disease is likely to impact this year's tax collections. BIR's target collection for the region this year is estimated at PHP21.8 billion this year. (PNA photo by Digna Banzon)
DAVAO CITY – Should the 2019 coronavirus disease (Covid-19) take a turn for the worse, Davao Region could expect a 10-percent decrease in tax collections this year.
Abolhasan Balindong, assistant regional district officer of Bureau of Internal Revenue's (BIR) Regional District Office in Dava Region, said this year's projected revenue collection is pegged at PHP21.8 billion.
"In a worst-case scenario there will really be an impact on our collection," Balindong said in a press briefing here on Wednesday.
Balindong said the projected loss is based on the estimates of the BIR central office last month.
Based on current business trends, he said tourism-related businesses are taking a toll from the Covid-19 scare.
“We are currently asking data of the industries at the Revenue Data Center," he said.
Meanwhile, Balindong said BIR is currently focusing its effort on Value Added Taxpayers (VAT) after noting that the sector's revenue performance decreased by a percentage point last year.
The first step, he said, is to hold a dialogue among suspected VAT violators, to be followed by surveillance and then enforcement through "Oplan Kandado."
He also reminded of the businesses that availed of BIR's tax amnesty, saying they must settle their tax obligations by April this year.
"In our district alone, about PHP1.2 billion has yet to be collected," he said, even as he made it clear that BIR's main priority "is for voluntary tax compliance."
In a separate press briefing, Shiela Joy Benedicto, BIR-11 group supervisor, said the BIR Tax Forum slated on March 13 at the SMX Convention Center has been indefinitely postponed because of the Covid-19 threat.
"We apologize for the inconvenience that this cancelation may have caused to those concerned," Benedicto said, adding that more than 2,000 attendees have already confirmed to join the event. (PNA)
