The situation, in brief
The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) collected over ₱3 trillion in a single year for the first time in the entire history of the Philippine Republic, Finance Secretary Frederick Go said Saturday, describing the milestone as a record-breaking performance that reflects years of sustained reform in…
The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) collected over ₱3 trillion in a single year for the first time in the entire history of the Philippine Republic, Finance Secretary Frederick Go said Saturday, describing the milestone as a record-breaking performance that reflects years of sustained reform in tax administration.
Go made the disclosure in an interview on DZRH News program Special on Saturday on August 8, as part of the DZRH SONA 2026 Series featuring the Department of Finance (DOF).
“Last year po, ang BIR ay naka-reach ng over 3 trillion pesos. And this year, ang target po ng Bureau of Customs ay makaabot ng target nilang 1 trillion pesos. So medyo meron tayong mga record-breaking performances,” Go said.
He said revenue collections under the Marcos administration have grown at double-digit rates annually since 2022, with the BIR carrying the bulk of that growth given that it collects roughly three times more than the Bureau of Customs.
BIR Commissioner Charlito Mendoza said the record collections were driven by three strategic pillars: making tax compliance easier through digitalization, expanding the tax base by bringing unregistered businesses into the formal economy, and toughening enforcement through the filing of tax evasion cases.
“About 97% to 98% ng kinokolekta ng BIR ay nagmumula sa voluntary compliance,” Mendoza said, adding that the bureau’s approach is to treat taxpayers as partners in nation-building rather than mere sources of revenue.
He said the bureau is targeting at least one million unregistered businesses for formal registration under the BIR, saying most of these are small-scale entrepreneurs who would likely fall within the income tax exemption threshold once registered.
Mendoza said the BIR has also launched the CHAT program — Council, Help, and Assist Taxpayers — to change the public perception of the bureau from one that inspires fear to one that provides assistance.
From January to July 2026, the BIR filed 295 tax evasion cases nationwide, covering a total tax exposure of approximately ₱34 billion, Mendoza said, stressing that enforcement is applied fairly across all taxpayers regardless of their standing.
Go said the ₱3 trillion milestone and the sustained double-digit growth in collections have been critical to funding the Marcos administration’s spending programs in education, infrastructure, social welfare, and agriculture.
