BIR confident of hitting P2.6-T collection target this year

The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) expressed optimism on Tuesday that it would hit its 2023 collection target of P2.599 trillion, banking on the agency’s efforts to go after tax violators.

“Confident naman tayo na ma-attain ang collection target na binigay sa atin dahil patuloy pa rin naman dahil hindi naman tayo titigil sa mga activities na ginagawa natin,” Internal Revenue Commissioner Romeo Lumagui Jr. said in a chance interview on the sidelines of the BIR’s 119th anniversary celebration in Pasay City.

Lumagui cited the Run After Tax Evaders (RATE) Program.

“Patuloy pa rin ang paghahabol sa illicit traders ginagawa natin para masigurado na makakolekta tayo ng tamang buwis,” he said.

“With the directive also of our President, importante ang revenue collections because of projects— Build Better More. So susuportahan natin ‘yan at gagawin lahat ng makakaya para masigurado na maibigay ang collection target na binigay sa atin,” Lumagui said.

The BIR's collection target for 2023 is higher than the actual 2022 collection by 10.95%, or P256.444 billion.

As of the first half of 2023, the BIR’s collection had grown 7.65% to P1.2 trillion.

However, the taxman’s collection fell short of its P1.3-trillion target for the six-month period.  — VBL, GMA Integrated News