The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) said it already collected P2.132 trillion in taxes in the first 10 months of this year, higher by 11.11 percent, or P213.214 billion, compared to tax collections for the same period last year.
BIR Commissioner Romeo Lumagui Jr. said they collected P274.429 billion (net of tax refund) in October alone, surpassing its collection target by 8.57 percent, or P21.654 billion, and higher by 46.94 percent compared to tax collections for the October 2022.
He said that for 2023, the BIR’s collection target was set at P2.639 trillion, which is higher by 12.99 percent, or P303.500 billion, than the 2022 actual collection.
“With the intensification of the Bureau’s tax enforcement activities, specifically on the campaign against sellers and buyers of fake receipts, and with the continuous streamlining and digitization of the BIR’s core services, we hope to encourage all non-compliant taxpayers to comply fully with the provisions and requirements of the tax laws so that we can attain, and even surpass, our annual collection target this year,” Lumagui stressed in a statement.
He led the filing of 15 criminal cases against the buyers and sellers of ghost receipts under the Run After Fake Transactions Task Force of the BIR Nov. 22. A total of 69 respondents, including corporations, corporate officers, and accountants, were impleaded in the criminal cases filed before the Department of Justice, with an estimated tax liability of P1.8 billion.
“The sale and use of ghost receipts is a tax-evasion scheme of the highest order. The BIR is committed to filing civil and criminal charges against all corporations, corporate officers, and accountants involved in this syndicate. We are already preparing the next set of criminal cases,” Lumagui said.
He said that these buyers and sellers of ghost receipts come from different industries, such as construction and hardware, marketing of goods, equipment, office supplies, automotive oils, trading of metals, contractor electrical and mechanical systems, hotel, and food services.
“This shows the magnitude of this syndicate because it covers an array of industries,” Lumagui said, adding the respondents violated Section 254, or tax evasion; Section 255 – failure to supply correct and accurate information in the ITR and VAT returns; Section 267 – perjury; and Section 257, or making false records or report, all under the National Internal Revenue Code. ||
