The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) said Monday night, April 5, that the April 15, 2021 deadline for the filing of 2020 income tax returns (ITRs) will not be extended.
Revenue Deputy for Operations Arnel Guballa said that the deadline is non-extendable regardless of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
Earlier Monday, Guballa told the Manila Bulletin that individual and business taxpayers would be given up to May 15 to submit their 2020 ITR without penalty.
The change in the BIR official's tune suggests that the Department of Finance (DOF), which had insisted on the enforcement of the original April 15 deadline, ultimately had its way.
Guballa explained that the DOF doesn't favor postponing the deadline since the government wants to continue raising funds for its COVID-19 mitigation programs.
He said, however, that taxpayers may still amend the ITRs on or before May 15 to reflect the excess or surplus payments without penalty.
The BIR came out earlier with Revenue Memorandum Circular 41-2020 allowing taxpayers to file returns and pay taxes at revenue district offices that are outside of the district office where they were registered.