By Vanne Elaine Terrazola Senator Francis Tolentino has called on the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to extend the filing of income tax returns (ITRs) beyond April 15 this year as the government moves to address the spike in the number of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in the Philippines. Senator Francis "Tol" N. Tolentino
(Senator Francis Tolentino official Facebook page / MANILA BULLETIN) Tolentino, in a statement, said he will write to BIR Commissioner Caesar Dulay appealing to move the deadline of ITR filing to a later date for taxpayers in Metro Manila and other areas affected by the coronavirus. Metro Manila will be placed under “community quarantine”, wherein local land, air, and sea travel will be prohibited, starting Sunday, March 15, until April 14. “Kawawa naman ang ating mga kababayan na marahil ay mahina o wala nang kita dahil sa outbreak ng virus, lalo na kung nasa Metro Manila sila sa panahong ito, kaya kailangan i-extend ang deadline ng filing ng income tax returns (Our countrymen could suffer the disease or the loss of income due to the outbreak of virus, especially if they are within Metro Manila at this time. That is why there is a need to extend the filing of ITRs),” Tolentino said in a statement. “This is to offer them relief as they will be reeling from the health, mobility and economic challenges during these times which will affect their ability to file their returns and pay their taxes,” he added. In his letter to Dulay to be sent Monday, March 15, Tolentino said he noted a recent Asian Development Bank report warning that the COVID-19 outbreak may cause economic losses worth US$1.939 billion in gross domestic product (GDP), and may result to the loss of 252,000 jobs in the country. He also cited the P42.9-billion worth of losses in the country's tourism industry. “It is my firm belief that the government has the responsibility to aid our overburdened taxpayers who continue to shoulder the brunt of the outbreak’s impact on the market.  An extension would be a sigh of relief that could spell a huge difference to struggling individuals and businesses,” Tolentino said. Under the National Internal Revenue Code, the deadline for the filing of the income tax return is set on or before April 15 of each year. However, it also provides that in meritorious cases, the BIR Commissioner may grant a reasonable extension of time for filing returns of income. “With the current situation, there is also a possibility of gathering a large number of people on the day of the deadline of filing tax returns, which poses a health risk. As such, this is a meritorious case that calls for an extension,” he said. Tolentino also mentioned that other countries, such as China and Italy, have implemented tax relief and payment holidays as part of their respective measures to minimize the effects of the COVID-19 to their economies. In the United Kingdom and in the State of California, they allow employees and companies affected by COVID-19 to apply for an extension of the period as long as certain requirements are met, Tolentino said. The United States government is reportedly considering looking into proposals to push back the tax filing deadline as an economic response to the coronavirus outbreak. “I believe that all measures should be taken to alleviate the plight of the Filipino people especially during these trying times,” Tolentino reiterated.