Taxpayers beat BIR deadline

MANILA, Philippines - Taxpayers trooped to various offices of the Bureau of Internal Revenue yesterday to beat the midnight deadline, as the BIR stressed that it would no longer extend the deadline for the filing of income tax returns (ITRs).

The BIR had extended the deadline to 12 midnight yesterday but refused another extension.

To accommodate the throngs of taxpayers, the BIR set up tents and satellite offices in various parts of Metro Manila and other key areas in the country.

The BIR has been flooded with incessant calls from taxpayers inquiring whether or not there will be an extension of the April 15 tax filing deadline.

Some callers even pointed to an article in the April 9, 2009 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer which said that the deadline is on April 20 rather than April 15.

“An extension of the April 15, 2009 deadline for the filing of ITRs is not forthcoming,” the BIR said in a press statement.

“Failure to file on the said deadline will give us no choice but to impose increments (in the form of surcharge, interest and compromise penalty) on the basic tax due,” said Aida Simborio, OIC-Assistant Commissioner of the BIR Taxpayer Assistance Service.

The BIR has sent out advisories on the filing and payment of 2008 income tax returns and asked taxpayers to watch out for updates that will be issued every now and then by the BIR.

A tax deadline countdown in newspapers as well as friendly tax reminders had also been set in place to eliminate any conflict or confusion.