The Department of Finance has extended to December 19, 2020 the payment of all local taxes, fees, and charges with deadlines falling on or after September 14 this year, imposed by local government units.
Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III issued Department Circular No. 003-2020, which states that in case an “LGU had already extended the deadlines prior to the effectivity of Republic Act 11494, or the Bayanihan to Recover As One Act (Bayanihan 2), such deadlines, if earlier than December 19, 2020, shall be deemed modified with the period set forth”.
Any further extension of deadlines beyond December 19 shall be authorized in accordance with RA No. 7160, or the Local Government Code, Dominguez said in a statement today.
As a result of the mandatory extension of the payment limits, no interest, surcharge or any form of penalty shall be applied on any local tax, fee, or charge accruing on or due and demandable during the period covering such deadlines, the DC also states.
All applicable interests, penalties and surcharges will begin to run again, if due and demandable, after the lapse of the effectivity of Bayanihan 2 on Dec. 19, the DC said.
The circular was issued by Dominguez to provide guidelines on the uniform implementation by LGUs of Section 4 of the Bayanihan 2 Law, which extends the statutory deadlines and timelines for the filing and submission of any document, the payment of taxes, fees and other charges required by law, and the grant of any benefit, the statement said.
It also aims to ease the burden on individuals and enterprises affected by the severe disruption of economic activities due to stringent community quarantines that the national and local governments have imposed to curb the spread of coronavirus disease 2019. – CGC
