CABANATUAN CITY – Of the some 100 million Filipinos, half are either too young or too old to pay taxes.
And of the remaining 50 million, only 18 million are paying. Thus disclosed Asst. Regional Revenue Dir. Conrad Lee of the Bureau of Internal revenue in Central Luzon even as he expressed confidence that the P21-billion collection target for the region this year will be achieved.
Gracing the grand tax kick-off launch at the Lakewood City organized here Thursday by the Revenue District Office 23-B under Rosalina Legaspi, Lee said his optimism is based on the “more positive attitude of taxpayers.”
“Ang winners’ attitude ay mahirap magbayad pero magbabayad ako, at hindi magbabayad ako pero mahirap,” Lee said as he urged local businessmen, employers and employees to pay their taxes correctly and on time.
Of the non-taxpayers, Lee said:”Dala-dala natin sila. Kargamento natin sila.” In Central Luzon, only about 400,000 of the 792,000 registered taxpayers are active payers at present, he said. Legaspi who led a team of revenue officials in visiting schools, supermarkets and hospitals, among other establishments, for a stepped-up tax drive on Wednesday, said her office which holds jurisdiction over southern Nueva Ecija areas has a goal of P2,305,975,000 this year.
She added that over 90 percent of that target is expected to come from this city, Dr. Reynato Arimbuyutan, president of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry- Nueva Ecija Chapter, led a group of employers in rendering the pledge of support for the state’s tax collection efforts.
Arimbuyutan said they are contemplating a proposal to make tax payment a requirement for voters. “Dapat nagbabayad ng buwis bago makaboto. Paano ka magiging mamamayan kung hindi ka nagbabayad ng buwis?” he said.
