By Zinnia B. dela Peña (The Philippine
Star) | Updated February 17, 2015 - 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines - The Bureau of
Internal Revenue has widened the scope of electronic filing and payment of
income tax in line with its drive to constantly revolutionize tax filing and payment
as well as ease the process of doing business.
Despite significant advances in
technology, there was meager compliance
by taxpayers in filing their returns electronically, the agency said.
The BIR noted that only three percent
of taxpayers submitted their payments online through the electronic filing and
payment system (eFPS) or electronic BIR forms last year.
Among those required to file their tax
returns electronically are accredited and prospective importers and brokers;
national government agencies; licensed local contractors; recipients of fiscal
incentives; top 5,000 individual
taxpayers, corporations with a paid up capital of P10 million and above;
procuring government agencies, government bidders, large taxpayers and the top
20,000 private corporations.
Also mandated to use the eFPS are
accredited tax practitioners and their clients, accredited printers of
receipts, one-time transaction taxpayers, state-owned firms, local government
units and cooperatives registered with the National Electrification
Administration and Local Water Utilities Administration.
The agency mandated the use of the
electronic tax payment facility to make it convenient for taxpayers to file
their returns anytime and anywhere.
Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima said
the government “aims to dramatically increase the number of taxpayers filing
returns electronically to ease taxpayer experience and in the process encourage
more people to pay taxes.”
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