No-new-tax policy for 2012 a tall order – Atty. Milo

Eastern Pangasinan top tax honcho Atty. Beverly Milo

URDANETA CITY- The top executive of the Bureau of Internal Revenue who supervises Eastern Pangasinan has varied reactions to the Aquino Administration’s “No-New-Tax policy next year despite a higher tax goal of P1.07 Trillion.

Atty. Beverly Milo, the Revenue District Officer who is based here, said that it would be a tall order for tax districts all over the country because a no tax policy from the national government means a missing tax base.

“Kami, wala naman tayong  nakikitang development as far as the local situation is concerned. So we have to introduce development as far as the local situation is concerned. So we have introduction of developments but these developments are handled by the national government. Nandiyan  iyong construction ng TPLEX (Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union-Express Way), nandiyan iyong project sa Agno River, 2^nd or 3^rd Phase na I believed. And other infrastructures but there would be changes in policy as far as DPWH (Department of Public Works & Highway) is concerned. In local (level) also we are only committed as administrator of projects allocated sa local governments ng DPWH. So if there is no projects given there or implemented (for that) purpose, we don’t expect to collect withholding tax and others

She explained that whenever the government pours infrastructure projects in districts all over the country, it means an increase of withholding taxes like the Value Added Tax and Income Tax for the BIR in the municipality. She said the tax offices assigned in the towns collect from private contractors who subcontract these projects.

Atty. Milo was ambivalent in the national policy to jack-up the P920 billion tax goal for this year to P1.07 Trillion next year.

She said she does not know if she can make it incase the same percentage of the increase in the national level is applied to her district.

“We also rely so much in the economy. There is no progress in the economy. Definitely we don’t expect much taxes (can be) collected from these business people”.

She doubt that the National Economic Development Authority can be certain on its projection that next year Gross National Products (GNP) would be between 5 to 6 percent thus the goal of P1.7 Trillion is attainable.

She subjects herself to the government’s Five –Year- Plan to buttress tax collection.

This Strategy includes  a strengthened auditing of large taxpayers and regular filing of tax-evasion cases against tax cheats.

She said that her office aggressively does surveillances, tax mapping, and others tax measures to increase collection efficiencies.

She opined however that every tax region and district are unique compared to the same offices all over the country.

Because of that she tuned up her strategies with the kind of tax payers she has in her district.

Meanwhile, BIR Regional Director Atty. Arnel Guballa said earlier in this paper that his office mostly collect taxes from the ordinary taxpayers unlike in other regions that have burgeoning industries and commerce thus a healthy tax base.

Guballa office supervises four provinces in the Ilocos Region (Mortz C. Ortigoza).