Fonacier warns banks which refuse to accept tax payments

Internal Revenue Commissioner Dakila Fonacier warned yesterday all accredited agent banks (AABs) of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) which refuse to accept income tax returns (ITRs) from taxpayers.

Fonacier said they released these new rulings to AABs to allow banks to accommodate the needs of the taxpaying public.

He said the BIR has suspended the requirements for filing the ITRs per Bank Bulletin 2000-II in the wake of complaints by taxpayers that banks are strictly following revenue regulations regarding filing of these returns with them.

"No matter how small the amount of tax payment is, all ITRs filed by taxpayers must be received by the banks, even if the taxpayers filing the returns are not the bank's clients or depositors. Also ITRs filed clearing time have also to be accepted by the banks," he said.

Fonacier said this move is in response to the needs of the taxpaying public during income tax filing season.

He also said that all AABs are allowed to render banking services from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on April 8 and April 15.

According to the BIR chief, AABs banking hours are also extended up to 5 p.m. daily from April 1 to April 15. The deadline for the filing of ITRs will be on April 17.

He said AABs can now also accept ITRs filed by taxpayers even without the presentation of the Taxpayer Record Update (TRU) Form duly received by the BIR, provided the Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) is indicated in the return. AABs must also accept ITRs even without the required bank enrolment except, however, if payment is made through the debit system.

The BIR commissioner also instructed all AABs to accept old ITR forms. "Photocopied and computer-generated forms are also accepted provided that these are originally filled-up and signed by the taxpayers," he said.

In appealing to the taxpaying public to file now their returns before the deadline set on April 17, Fonacier asked all AABs to accept "out-of-district" ITRs or those returns filed by taxpayers with the banks not falling within the jurisdiction of the taxpayers' revenue district offices (RDOs).

Aside from the banks to open on Saturday, he said all RDOs as well as the tax centers created by the BIR nationwide will also open this weekend, including Sunday, to receive taxpayers filing their returns.

The BIR chief also directed filing centers, including the BIR National Office at East Avenue, to accommodate taxpayers filing "no payment returns" even if they are not under the center's area of jurisdiction.

All the Tax Tulungan Centers in the malls, established by the BIR in cooperation with the Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants and Philippine Retailers Association, are also open to accept "no payment returns" from taxpaying public this weekend.