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DESPITE a collection shortfall, the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR)
has no plans of extending the expired tax amnesty program.
BIR Deputy Commissioner Gregorio V. Cabantac
said the fate of the amnesty program will depend on the commissioner
but the legal department will not suggest an extension even after
the bureau failed to hit its collection target for the same.
Rep. Danilo R. Suarez, author of the Tax Amnesty
law, earlier said the program should be extended for at least two
months.
Suarez said the amnesty program failed because
taxpayers were unaware of the program’s requirements and
procedures as a revenue memorandum circular was not issued on time.
Finance Secretary Margarito B. Teves said
program collection reached only P2 billion, significantly lower than
the projected P3.5 billion, which he blamed on miscommunication and
the late response from both the BIR and its taxpayers.
Teves also said the fate of the amnesty program
will depend on Congress.
BIR Deputy Commissioner Nelson M. Aspe said
delinquent taxpayers who failed to avail of the program will be
prosecuted.
This latest in a string of tax amnesties the
government pursued was designed to enhance revenue administration
and collection by granting amnesty on all unpaid internal revenue
taxes imposed by the government for taxable year 2005 and prior
years, under certain conditions.
The program began on September 16 last year and
ended on March 6 this year.
Last year, the bureau’s total collection was 7
percent short of its P765 billion full-year goal. The P712.098
billion generated, however, was 9 percent higher than the P652.732
billion raised in 2006.
This year, the BIR is asking the Department of
Finance to adjust its collection goal to below P800 billion, or
close to the P765 target for last year.
The BIR contributes around 70 percent of the
government’s total tax revenues.
-- Chino S. Leyco
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