President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. yesterday urged the public to pay their taxes correctly even as he reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to go after those involved in tax fraud and tax evasion.
The president, during the launch of the 2025 National Tax Campaign of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City, also reassured the public that every centavo of the taxes collected would be spent on projects and programs for the benefit the public.
The BIR campaign coincided with the observance of February as National Tax Awareness Month.
“As we observe the National Tax Awareness Month this February, we are here to be reminded that every honest contribution fuels something far more significant than just ourselves. And I say this with hope and with sternness—hope that we all see the value in contributing to our country and that the law will deal sternly against those who exploit the system unfairly,” Marcos said.
He said the government will hold those who continue to circumvent the tax system accountable.
The president directed the BIR to be watchful, be guardians of a tax system that ensures that every peso that is collected is channeled into programs that serve the Filipinos.
Marcos also asked the Filipinos not just to pay their taxes but to also contribute to nation-building and the continued development and progress of the country.
“Makakaasa po kayo na mahigpit nating babantayan ang paggugol sa pondo ng bayan. Sisiguruhin natin na ang ating pondo ay magbubunga ng mga proyektong ikakabuti ng ating bansa at ikauunlad ng bawat isang Pilipino (You can be sure that we will closely monitor the spending of public funds. We will make sure that our funds would be spent on projects that would be good for the country and bring progress to each Filipino),” he added.
The president, during the event, recognized the BIR’s collection of over 2.85 trillion in taxes in 2024, which he said is the agency’s biggest collection in 20 years and higher than the P2.52 trillion that was collected in 2023.
Marcos said this collection is equal to a million schools, 190,000 kilometers of roads and 167,000 rural health facilities.
The president said the higher collection was due to BIR’s efforts to strengthen its tax collection by widening of tax base through simplified key processes and documentary requirements, and the digitalizing of the tax system. All these efforts resulted in the registration of more than 74,000 new establishments and close to 5.7 million registered business taxpayers in 2024, Mr. Marcos said.
He highlighted the implementation of the BIR’s program such as the Online Registration and Update System (ORUS), the issuance of digital TIN IDs, which has significantly improved security and convenience for taxpayers, and the Electronic One-Time Transaction (eONETT) system which made processing and issuing Electronic Certificate Authorizing Registration (eCARs) easier.
Marcos said the BIR was also proactively enforcing compliance with the country’s tax laws, acknowledging the 307,000 establishments visited and verified by the agency last year that yielded P257 million worth dues; the continuing implementation of the Run After Fake Transactions that resulted in the filing of cases against ghost sellers and buyers and the collection of more than P4.3 billion in taxes; and the crackdowns against illicit trade of cigarettes, vape products, and other excisable goods that led to the collection of more than P110 million last year.