BACOLOD CITY — The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Region 12, which covers Negros Island and Siquijor, has again warned tax evaders that the bureau will continue to go after them.
The warning was issued by BIR Region 12 Director Eduardo Pagulayan Jr. as he confirmed that as of the first week of April, there are still erring establishments in Negros Occidental, particularly in Bacolod City.
“We are still targeting a lot of erring tax payers here. Despite our warnings, they are not issuing sales invoice,” he said on Friday.
Last March 19, Pagulayan led the shutdown of three business establishments in Bacolod for under-declaration of sales and non-issuance of the sales invoice.
His team padlocked the head office of general merchandise seller Blyzer Trading on Burgos Street, and its branches at Libertad Market and Barangay Sum-ag.
The operation was conducted under the BIR’s “Oplan Kandado” program, which suspends the business operations of non-compliant taxpayers and enforce closure of establishments found to have violated certain tax laws.
Pagulayan said that after paying a penalty of PHP3 million, the BIR lifted the closure order for Blyzer Trading and the establishments were allowed to re-open on March 28 after the minimum closure period of five days.
Earlier, Pagulayan also underscored the vital role of its employees in carrying out efficient tax collection.
He added that they are keeping an eye on employees involved in corruption practices aside from going after tax evaders as part of the efforts to reach their tax collection goal.
BIR Revenue Region 12, which includes Revenue District Office (RDO) No. 76 in Victorias City, RDO No. 77 in Bacolod City, RDO No. 78 in Binalbagan town, all in Negros Occidental, and RDO No. 79 in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental, has a target collection of almost PHP13.2 billion for 2018.
Last year, its total tax collection was only PHP11.2 billion, lower by PHP498 million out of the target of PHP11.7 billion.
Pagulayan said that reaching the target would depend on the collection efficiency of employees, not only in going after and filing cases against tax evaders. (PNA)