BIR tax take up 13% to P1.78 trillion, but misses 2017 goal

The Bureau of Internal Revenue’s (BIR) tax take has jumped 13 percent to P1.779 trillion last year but still missed its target.

In a statement on Thursday, the country’s tax-collection agency said its total 2017 collections exceeded the P1.576 trillion it collected in 2016.

However, it fell short of its P1.829-trillion goal for last year.

Tax evaders

The BIR said it also beefed up its tax administration efforts in 2017.

“The BIR filed 112 cases under its flagship program Run After Tax Evaders (Rate) with an estimated combined tax liability amounting to P40.948 billion,” it said.

“Under the Oplan Kandado program, 125 business establishments were closed, with a collection of P252.14 million for various violations of the Tax Code including gross understatement of gross sales/receipts, noncompliance with the Value-Added Tax Law, and nonissuance of the requisite VAT,” the BIR said.

Revenue inspectors also visited a total of 164,062 business establishments under the BIR’s tax compliance verification drive to determine their compliance with the agency’s bookkeeping, invoicing and registration requirements.

The BIR collected about P224.8 million from unscrupulous firms.