Cordillera ups tax collection in 2016

THE BUREAU of Internal Revenue – Cordillera reported around P5.275 billion in tax collection in 2016, a 17.34 percent increase compared to the 2015 tax collection.

BIR Regional Director Conrado Lee reported this during the Cordillera leg of the Bureau’s national tax campaign roadshow at SM City Baguio on March 17.

Lee disclosed the regional revenue office which covers Baguio City contributed more than half or 57 percent of the 2016 tax collection in the region with P3.248 billion.

Benguet was next with P816.84 million while Kalinga – Apayao collected P456.9M, Abra with P317.87M, Ifugao with P228.17M, and Mountain Province with P217.07M.

Lee’s report showed 60 percent or around 3.425 billion of the P5.275 billion tax collection in 2016 were income taxes.

For the 2017 tax campaign, Lee explained that BIR under the leadership of Commissioner Caesar Dulay has a national priority program anchored on the attainment of tax collection target, improvement

of customer satisfaction, and protecting revenues and recapturing public thrust.

The tax collection target of Cordillera for 2017 is P6.64 billion, Lee said.

He disclosed a big challenge is getting taxpayers pay their taxes. Based on their record, Cordillera has 501,403 total registered tax payers but only 80,218 are active tax payers as of 2016.

Lee stressed BIR is doubling its effort in advocating the importance of taxpayers, of paying the right taxes voluntarily and on time.

Commissioner Cesar Dulay, in his keynote message during the event, emphasized on the need of every taxpayer to become a partner for change towards nation building and voluntarily pay the right taxes. Carlito Dar/ PIA-CAR with Andrea Halal/ PIA Intern