BIR denies focusing only on small-time taxpayers

INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) on Monday denied going after small-time taxpayers.

During the Senate finance committee hearing, Senator Raffy Tulfo criticized the agency, saying that poor individuals, such as pedicab drivers and sari-sari store owners, suffer the collection shortfall of the BIR.

“Ang point ko rito, being kayo po diyan sa BIR, tuwing gusto niyo pong makakolekta ng karagdagang buwis dahil kayo po ay nagkaroon ng shortfall [o] hindi niyo po na-meet ang inyong target, ang pinag-iinitan niyo palagi ‘yung mga maliliit nating kababayan.

(My point is, since you are the BIR, every time you want additional tax collection, if you have a shortfall or did not meet your target, you burden our small-time countrymen.)

“Akalain mo pedicab, tricycle driver ‘pag i-issue-an niyo? Oobligahan niyo mag-issue ng OR [official receipt]?” Tulfo, citing a 2010 press release, lamented.

(Can you believe it, pedicab, tricycle driver, you will oblige them to issue an OR?)

BIR Commissioner Lilia Guillermo replied, disagreeing with Tulfo’s claim.

“Basic principle po ng taxation is to be just and fair. So, hindi po totoo ‘yung sa small taxpayers po ang aming focus. In fact, we have large taxpayers service na naka-focus po sa mga large taxpayers,” she said.

(The basic principle of taxation is to be just and fair. So, it is not true that we focus on small taxpayers.  We have a large taxpayers service that concentrates on large taxpayers.)

“‘Yung small taxpayers po, hindi po namin ‘yan napapag-initan. Lahat po dapat mag-issue ng resibo, whether small, medium, or large taxpayer,” she added.

(We are not after small taxpayers. All should issue a receipt, whether small, medium, or large taxpayer.)

Tulfo further pressed if pedicab drivers are required to issue an OR. Guillermo pledged that she would look into the issue and assured the public that they are not strict with small-time taxpayers.

The neophyte senator urged the BIR to pour their energy into hunting down big-time smugglers. With reports from Trisha Manalaysay, INQUIRER.net trainee