MANILA: Improving information technology systems for online transactions tops the Bureau of Internal Revenue’s (BIR) priorities this year.
According to a blueprint of priority programs, the bureau will work on several IT projects to help it collect P2.026 trillion in government revenues this year.
“We unlikely met the target last year, but the important part is that we are growing the collections faster than the nominal GDP (gross domestic product),” Internal Revenue Commissioner Kim Jacinto-Henares told reporters last Wednesday.
The agency was tasked to collect P1.674 trillion last year. As of November, it has only raised P1.327 trillion.
Leading the IT initiatives this year is the nationwide rollout of the BIR’s electronic Tax Information System, an entire database of taxpayers and their BIR records.
Also in the list is the enhancement and expansion of the electronic Certificate Authorizing Registration system for real estate transactions.
The bureau will also push through with the Phase 2 of the Asset Information Management Porgram (AIM-P), which was first funded in 2011.
The AIM-P establishes a system that allows the BIR to match tax payments with an individual’s estimated net worth based on third-party information from other state offices.
The BIR will also start to lay out mechanisms to allow tax payments through credit and debit cards.
“We cannot still do that this filing season on April though. A lot of work has to be done,” Henares said in a phone interview.
For brokers and importers, a web-based accreditation system will be set up together with the Bureau of Customs.
For government offices, three programs are in the pipeline namely online application and processing of tax clearance for bidding, collection reconciliation system and automated internal revenue allotment (IRA) computation.
Online filing of tax clearance applications were already ordered through a separate memorandum this month, while the reconciliation system will be rolled out “nationwide” soon.
The latter will connect the BIR with the authorized agent banks collecting taxes, the central bank and the Bureau of the Treasury to reconcile tax data.
Meanwhile, local governments will soon know faster their share of National Government revenues through electronic IRA computation.
Complementing the IT processes, the BIR said it would continue with its tax administration programs such as weekly filing of tax cases under Run After Tax Evaders, the Oplan Kandado program and audit of value-added tax payments.
Tax stamps to track cigarette excise tax payments will also soon cover distilled spirits and wines.
“(We will) also increase the efficiency and professionalism of the BIR through improvement of human resources management and training management system…,” the BIR said.
