By Franklin P. Gumapon
PAGADIAN CITY – Tax collection target of each
regional and district offices of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) is
increasing every year and this poses a big challenge not only to the BIR
personnel but to the taxpayers as well.
Atty. Alert B. Alcocilja, regional director of BIR-Revenue
Region 15 based in Zamboanga City, bared in yesterday’s launching of the “2015
Tax Campaign” that the region’s tax collection target for the current year is
P6.57 billion, P1.6 billion more than last year’s collection goal.
Speaking before the representatives of the different
government line agencies, local government units, businessmen, non-government
organizations, professionals and others, Alcociljaadmitted
that BIR-RR15 failed to meet its tax collection target last year but it
recorded an increase in its actual collection of 10.31 percent as against its
2013 target.
He cited five reasons hindering the region from reaching its
last year’s target such as a decrease in government projects, migration of
taxpayers, carried over losses from previous years, power interruptions and
high collection goal.
Another thing that is likely to affect its collection target
for this year is the increase in tax exemption in bonuses of workers from P30
thousand to P82 thousand in that the government stands to lose P30 billion in
taxes.
To cope with its collection goal, the BIR aims to pursue the
“Oplan Kandado,” campaign drive on professional and self-employed taxpayers,
Run After The Evaders (RATE) program, utilization of relief data in audit and
investigation and campaign for voluntary payment of all taxpayers.
Appealing to the participants in yesterday’s kickoff
program, Alcocilja said: “Please help the BIR meet its tax collection goal by
paying your taxes not out of fear or compulsion but out of love of the
country.”