BIR launches tax e-payment in Cebu

CEBU CITY – The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) launched its e-Payment online service program for tax transactions with the bureau.

Lanee David from Information Systems Group, BIR-13, unveiled the e-Payment scheme during the bureau’s Medium Taxpayers Segmentation Forum recently. David said the BIR is going paperless and cashless in most of its tax transactions through debit, credit and Visa cards.

David said the BIR signed a memorandum of agreement with Land Bank and Development Bank of the Philippines as partners for its e-Payment system. Taxpayers can now log in to either LBP or DPB or BIR’s website to enroll and pay taxes by following simple steps and filling forms at home, Internet cafes and other business centers where internet/WiFi is available, she added.

“Access the BIR website at https//:www.bir.gov.ph, click e-pay and go through the commands in filling in the forms. You can also access LBP, DBP websites and even pay with Globe GCash,” David said, showing the process with a video presentation.

BIR launched the e-Payment scheme to reduce processing time of tax services and to harness information technology for faster and more efficient tax transactions, David said.

“The benefits of e-Payment online are convenient, hassle-free, easy, simple, and secure. It’s just like booking for a hotel or getting a ticket,” David said.

She said the BIR is finding ways to raise revenues and encourage people to pay their taxes to support the various pro-poor and the infrastructure programs of the Duterte administration.

BIR’s tax collection makes up 80 percent of the national revenue. “We are tasked to collect 11.829 trillion this year which was higher than the 2016 collection goal of 11.620 trillion,” David said.

All these goals are met when all taxpayers pay the right taxes at the right time, she said. E-Payment allows the BIR to reach its 2017 collection target, she said.

In his opening remarks at the forum, BIR Assistant Regional Director for RR-13, VC Cadangen said most Filipinos fail to link taxes to services, that before government can build, it must first collect taxes.