BIR focuses tax drive on doctors in Cebu

Medical practitioners in Cebu are among the “priorities” for tax collection of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).

“We will audit hospitals (in Cebu) to determine the medical practitioners. We will audit  and look at the records,” BIR 13 Regional Director Rodita Galanto told an  888 News Forum yesterday.

Galanto said medical practitioners referred to  doctors, especially surgeons and anesthesiologists.

Legal officer Asuncion Bernades of BIR 13 said  the mandate to prioritize the collection of taxes from medical practitioners came from the national government.

“The possible reason is that medical practitioners have a low compliance in paying taxes,” Bernades told Cebu Daily News.

Galanto said she already issued three electronic letters of authorities (ELAs) to hospitals in Cebu so that the BIR could start an  audit  this month.

“We have until Dec. 15 to finish our priorities,” Galanto said.

However, according to recent wire reports, the Philippine Medical Association (PMA)  recently partnered with the BIR to form a task force to teach doctors how to compute their taxes.

The PMA said its member-doctors were willing to pay taxes, but they just didn’t know how to compute them.

Last August, BIR Region 6 head Beverly Milo in another wire report said that medical doctors were easier to tax because their business transactions with patients could be counterchecked with PhilHealth Insurance Corp. data.

Meanwhile, Galanto said they would submit their tax-mapping targets at the beginning of the year, and at year-end, a “mission order” is issued to finish the targets.

Galanto said the BIR would also get third-party information from local government units and civil and local registrars.

Aside from their thrust to collect taxes from doctors, the BIR will also focus on funeral parlors.

“It’s like hitting two birds with one stone. Once we look into the death certificates, we look at the names of the funeral parlors at the back of the death certificates.”

She also said the BIR is looking closely into the tax dues of rice dealers.

Galanto urged the public  to report BIR personnel who ask money from tax-payers.

“I called all the examiners. I briefed them on what to do and I told them the consequences (if they ask for money from taxpayers). I am requesting all taxpayers to declare their sales and purchases,” Galanto said.  /Correspondent Rhea Ruth V. Rosell