Solons urge extension of tax filing, payment deadline amid enhanced community quarantine

Lawmakers at the House of Representatives are calling on the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to extend the deadline in the filing and payment of taxes amid the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in Luzon.

In a statement, Kabayan party-list Representative Ron Salo urged the BIR to extend the deadline on tax filing and payment by at least a month, from April 14 as originally scheduled, to May 15.

"The BIR Commissioner is empowered to grant a reasonable extension of time for filing returns of income, or final and adjustment returns in case of corporations, in meritorious cases pursuant to Section 53 of the National Internal Revenue Code," he said.

"What could be more meritorious case that would justify extension than the fact that the entire Luzon is under enhanced community quarantine, and the whole country under a state of calamity?" he added.

Salo argued that while the BIR encourages online submission, not everyone has access to computers and those who do may not be knowledgeable enough to fill out and submit the required forms and documents online.

"Fines and penalties can also be waived on just grounds. Extensions and grace periods can certainly be legally and properly granted," he said.

Bagong Henerasyon party-list Representative Bernadette Herrera-Dy joined Salo's call, pointing out that the ongoing "grave health crisis" has already negatively impacted the livelihood of many Filipinos.

"Nananawagan tayo sa BIR na pakinggan ang hiling ng ating mga taxpayer na i-extend ang deadline nito," Herrera-Dy said.

For his part, Bayan Muna party-list Representative Carlos Zarate said he finds it "very ironic" that authorities are apparently defying the implementation of the enhanced community quarantine by insisting on the April 15 tax payment deadline.

"The Department [of Finance] (DOF) supposedly surpassed its collections for 2019, so it would not hurt if the tax collections are deferred by a month," Zarate said.

"Baka ang BIR at DOF pa ang maging rason ng mas malawak na pagkalat ng COVID-19 sa bansa, kung di nila ie-extend ang deadline ng pagbabayad ng buwis.Sana naman ay pakinggan nila ang panagawan ng mamamayan," he added.

Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez earlier said the filing of income taxes with the Bureau of Internal Revenue cannot be extended further beyond April 15 but amendment of returns without payment of interest can be allowed subject to certain conditions.

However on Wednesday, Senate President Vicente Sotto III said Dominguez is already considering extending the deadline by two weeks.  —LDF, GMA News