22/05/2026
๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐ข๐ ๐ ๐๐ฆ๐ฆ๐๐ข๐ก๐๐ฅ ๐ฅ๐๐ฃ๐ข๐ฅ๐ง๐ฆ ๐ฆ๐๐ซ-๐ ๐ข๐ก๐ง๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ ๐ฆ ๐๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐๐๐๐๐ง๐๐ข๐ก๐ฆ ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฃ๐ญ.๐ญ๐ฑ๐ฑ ๐ง๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐ข๐ก
The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) reported early gains from its reform initiatives during Commissioner Charlito Martin R. Mendozaโs first six months in office, with gross collections reaching P1.155 trillion from January to April 2026.
Speaking before the American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (AmCham) during a dialogue on the BIRโs tax priorities and modernization initiatives held on May 20, 2026, in Makati City, Commissioner Mendoza said the BIR exceeded its four-month collection target by P9.631 billion, or 0.84%, even after the Annual Income Tax Return filing deadline was extended from April 15 to May 15 upon the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. For April alone, the BIR posted P422.378 billion in gross collections, exceeding the monthโs goal by P12.776 billion, or 3.12%.
โWhile stronger collections are important, how we collect matters just as much,โ Commissioner Mendoza said, citing ongoing reforms in audit, digitalization, taxpayer service, and regulatory simplification.
In his keynote, Commissioner Mendoza reported that the BIR had stabilized audit and collection concerns in his first seven weeks in office, then launched BIR DARES in January, the Bureauโs five-pillar reform agenda covering Digital and Data Transformation, Audit Reform and Accountability, Revenue Collection and Revenue Base Protection, Employee Empowerment and Welfare Promotion, and Service Excellence and Stakeholder Engagement.
โThe Bureau is moving with greater urgency today, not only on reforms that taxpayers can immediately feel, but also on long-term institutional changes that will strengthen tax administration well beyond the present moment,โ Commissioner Mendoza added.
โThese are not stopgap solutions. They are part of a broader effort to build a more modern, accountable, and service-oriented BIR,โ he emphasized.
Among the reforms Commissioner Mendoza highlighted were the one-LOA-per-taxpayer-per-taxable-year policy, system-assisted case selection, the LOA Verifier through REVIE, the Interactive Digital Tax Calendar, Digital TIN via the eGovPH App, BIR Form No. 1701-MS for micro and small taxpayers, the QR-enabled Registration Seal Badge, and the soft launch of the Taxpayer Portal for the Large Taxpayers Service.
Commissioner Mendoza also highlighted internal reforms, such as the strengthened Digital Transformation Steering Committee (DXSC) and the rollout of ReMIND, the Revenue Management and Intelligence Dashboard, which provides real-time visibility into collections, enforcement activities, and operational performance to support faster monitoring and decision-making.
On the regulatory side, Commissioner Mendoza cited the streamlined requirements for Certificates of Tax Exemption covering socialized and economic housing projects; the clarification on the tax treatment of cross-border services; the clarified implementation of tax incentives for education partnerships; the updated list of VAT-exempt medicines; the temporary suspension of excise taxes on LPG and kerosene; and the signing of the Simplified and Streamlined Guidelines and Procedures in the Closure and/or Cancellation of Business Registration.
โBecause modernization is not only about digital systems. It also requires clearer rules, simpler procedures, and more responsive administration,โ Commissioner Mendoza said.
The dialogue also featured a roundtable discussion and open forum with Deputy Commissioners Larry M. Barcelo, Ma. Rosario Charo G. Enriquez-Curiba, and Marissa O. Cabreros, together with AmCham officers, business leaders, and private sector representatives. Discussions focused on audit reforms, digitalization initiatives, taxpayer services, ease-of-doing-business measures, and the phased implementation of the Taxpayer Portal.
Commissioner Mendoza emphasized that reforms must become embedded within the institution to ensure continuity and long-term impact.
โFor reforms to last, they must be institutionalizedโnot dependent on one person, but built into policies, digital workflows, standardized processes, and performance monitoring mechanisms. The goal is for these reforms to become part of the institution itself,โ he said.
Commissioner Mendoza urged AmCham and the private sector to continue working with the Bureau as reforms move forward.
โThe BIR cannot do this work alone. Lasting reform in tax administration requires the continued engagement of taxpayers, businesses, professional groups, and partners such as AmCham,โ he said.
โWe need your support, your feedback, and your constructive criticism to help us test these reforms against real business experience and carry these reforms forward.โ
