Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — Lito Baliling accomplished his income tax return (ITR) at a Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) branch in Quezon City on Tuesday (April 12), three days before the deadline.
He said he filed his ITR online and had his financial statement stamped ahead of the deadline on Friday (April 8).
“Mabilis lang. Mas okay ‘pag maaga,” said Baliling.
[Translation: It was fast. It’s better when you do it earlier.]
The BIR relaunched its expanded electronic filing system in a bid to accommodate more users.
Related: You can now use credit cards, debit cards to pay taxes
“Better prepared ang BIR. Nagdagdag ng bandwidth. Platform, mas maayos,” said Nelson Aspe, deputy commissioner of BIR. “Version 6, madaling ma-access, compatible sa maraming equipment.”
[Translation: The BIR is better prepared. The bandwidth was increased. The platform is better. Version 6 is more accessible, compatible with a number of equipment.]
Payment is also easier, with taxpayers now able to use their mobile phones to pay for their taxes through G-cash for all types of tax payments worth up to P100,000.
To be able to pay taxes through G-cash, users must download the G-cash application from Play Store for Android and register. Users should then fund the G-cash account from any G-cash partner outlet and initiate payment via the application.
The BIR said the computerized and digital income tax filing improves collection and curbs corruption in the agency.
“Simplified, better terms now compared to last year. Ease of paying taxes to the BIR. Ordinary people can use it,” said Aspe.
“Pamamaraan ng pag-submit, pag-file ng tax returns gamit ang electronics, pagdating ng data sa BIR, automatic sa database, unlike the manual, i-ta-type pa at i-u-upload.”
[Translation: The submission and filing of tax returns through electronics, when it is fed to the data in BIR, automatic database, unlike manual, wherein users have to type and upload.]
The number of electronically filed ITRs went up by 200%.
Also read: Taxes: A love-hate relationship
The agency said electronically filed ITRs already reached over 3 million, much higher than the 1 million filed during the same period last year.
With more convenient alternatives to file taxes, BIR appealed to the public to pay taxes on time.
“Pakiusap na agahan ‘yung pagsumite. Magsasabay-sabay na naman,” said Aspe. “April 15 filers, malaking peligro na hindi umabot.”
[Translation: I call on citizens to submit ITRs early. An overlap may occur again. April 15 filers are facing great danger of not making it to the cut.]
As of now, mobile payment is only available to Globe and Touch Mobile subscribers and Android users.
BIR said it is open to discuss partnerships with other telco providers.
