By Jun Ramirez
The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) instructed individual and business taxpayers on Monday to file complete information and attachments when they submit their 2019 income tax returns on or before May 30.
Bureau of Internal Revenue (MANILA BULLETIN)
BIR Deputy Commissioner for Operations Arnel Guballa made the request as the bureau scrapped Revenue Memorandum Circular (RMC) No. 26, which allowed the submission of tentative ITRs to be amended on or before June 15 without penalty.
He said there was no longer a need to file tentative returns to meet the original April 15 deadline as the period of filing has been extended to May 15 as stipulated under RMC No. 28.
The BIR changed its earlier stand not to extend the guideline as prescribed in the Tax Code due to strong pressure exerted by influential lawmakers including Senate President Vicente Sotto III and Sen. Bong Go.
They suggested the extension of the deadline to prevent taxpayers from contracting the coronavirus during the filing season.
Guballa said taxpayers can avoid contracting the illness if they file the returns electronically through the BIR's electronic Filing and Payment System (eFPS).
He said taxpayers can also use the tax payment facilities offered by government and private banks as well as online payment companies.
These are mobile payment thru GCash, PayMaya, Landbank Link.biz Portal, DBP Pay Tax Online System, Unionbank Online, and PesoNet Landbank Link.biz Portal.
Guballa also allayed fears expressed by some salaried or compensation earners of contracting the coronavirus when they file ITRs.
He said they are not required to do filing themselves, but rather their employers under the so-called substituted filing system.