The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has decided not to extend the deadline of filing of 2019 income tax return (ITR) despite the implementation of tje enhanced community quarantine in Luzon due to the COVID-19 threat.
The move of the bureau to rule out the deadline extension was confirmed in a revenue memorandum circular.
In response, Senator Christopher “Bong” Go has asked the Department of Finance (DOF) and the BIR to extend the deadline.
“As a legislator and fellow worker of government, I am appealing to the DOF and to BIR. Let’s give the people time to prioritize their safety and the welfare of their families first, provided that after we overcome this crisis, we trust that they will fulfil their tax obligations,” Go said.
The BIR has been suggesting the e-BIR form where people can pay their dues thru online facilities of Landbank, DBP, Union Bank, and by mobile payment application means to avoid the risk of going outside.
According to a tax expert, the proposal won’t be easy as not all are technologically adept, and added that the requested extension is not an abandonment of tax duties but a consideration for MSMEs that are nearly facing bankruptcy due to the quarantine.
“Pero (But) again, more than 60 percent of our collections are from the large taxpayers. Why crucify all of us when we can only contribute 0.1 percent or even less?” Tax whiz Mon Abrea asked.
Meanwhile, other companies lament of unfinished financial statements as their external auditors are affected by the lockdown.
Under the memorandum, the commissioner admitted the limited time to prepare the ITR, hence additional time given to tax payers to amend their ITR until June 25, 2020. – Report from Naomi Tiburcio
