The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) chief in Negros Oriental and Siquijor appealed to taxpayers April 15 to file their income tax returns (ITR) before the extended deadline next month to avoid penalties.
Carlito Bohol, officer-in-charge of the BIR Revenue District Office (RDO) 79, announced during a press conference that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has directed the extension of the deadline to May 15.
“I would just like to inform taxpayers that today (April 15) is supposedly the deadline for the filing of our income tax, but because of the wisdom of our President, the deadline has been extended to May 15,” Bohol said in Filipino.
He urged the public to settle their accounts early to avoid a last-minute rush and long queues at the regional office.
While no penalties will be charged for filers immediately after April 15, Bohol warned that payments made after the new May 15 cutoff will incur legal fines.
Late filers typically face a 25-percent surcharge, interest, and a compromise payment fee as mandated by law.
Bohol, who assumed his post Monday, highlighted that the BIR offers various electronic services to streamline the process. These include the e-Filing and Payment System (eFPS) and the electronic BIR forms (eBIRForms), which can be downloaded and presented to accredited agent banks.
Taxpayers can also utilize mobile payment platforms, such as GCash and Maya, for various transactions.
To promote the ease of doing business, Bohol said in a Philippine News Agency report that BIR is looking for ways to better serve clients, some of whom arrive at the Dumaguete office as early as 4 a.m. to secure priority numbers.
Meanwhile, the BIR posted a gross collection of P198.755 billion in March 2026, up by P21.086 billion, or 11.87 percent, compared to the same month last year.
It also released P11.368 billion in tax refunds last month, more than five times the amount released in March last year. “While the higher level of refunds tempered net collection growth, it also meant more funds were returned to taxpayers and businesses during the ongoing energy crisis.”
“Our March 2026 collection performance is encouraging, especially at this time of economic strain,” Commissioner Charlito Martin Mendoza said in a statement April 15, adding the Bureau heeded the directive of Marcos to help ensure that the government has steady revenues to fund essential services and provide timely support, especially to those who need it most. ||
