Nueva Ecija targets P8B in tax collection for 2023

CABANATUAN City, Nueva Ecija: The province of Nueva Ecija expects to generate P8 billion in taxes this year, according to two officers of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).

Two BIR district revenue offices (RDOs) eye a total of P7.835 billion, with one aiming for P5.4 billion and the other, P2.435 billion.

Taxpayers have been advised to file their income tax returns on April 17, 2023 since April 15, 2023 falls on a weekend.

Lope Tubera, the officer of the BIR’s Revenue’s District Office 23B South Nueva Ecija, said his office collected P4.3 billion in taxes in 2022 last year.

This year, he added, the RDO had set a target of P5.4 billion.

Vivian Tarectecan, the officer of the RDO 23A, said her office is looking at P2.435 billion in 2023 from P2.18 billion in 2022.

Motorcades held here on March 14 and March 16 drummed up a tax campaign to raise tax awareness of the public and to remind the taxpayers to avoid paying at the last minute.

Tubera, in an interview with The Manila Times, said a successful tax collection will be a sign of economic recovery for Nueva Ecija.

His office, he said, continues to launch Zoom webinars for the benefit of new business registrants.

The webinars, Tubera added, are seen effecting tax collection efficiency.

Carlito Bohol, assistant revenue officer of RDO 23B, said the office last year pushed the Run After Tax Evaders and “Oplan Kandado” (Operation Padlock) to flush out tax delinquents.

Emmanuel Ferrer Jr., a lawyer and Region 3 (Central Luzon) tax director, also in an interview with The Times, said they had filed cases against 115 tax evaders, several of whom were convicted and some whose cases are pending before local courts.

Ferrer said he was planning to launch the agency’s digitalization program to help boost tax collection this year in Region 3.

Tarectecan said the RDO 23A North Nueva Ecija had regained its bearing in the past two

years, especially in collecting from micro, small and medium enterprises.

Kathleen Lagmay, assistant revenue officer of RDO 23A, said information dissemination and consultation meetings with stakeholders and partners have proved effective in increasing their tax efficiency.

“Our revenue district office is here to assist taxpayers for their convenience, let us help each other,” she also said.

This year’s tax campaign banners the theme “Tulong-tulong sa Pagbangon, Kapit-kamay sa Pag-ahon, Buwis na Wasto, Alay para sa Pilipino.”

Nueva Ecija comprises the towns of Gabaldon, Laur, Bongabon, Santa Rosa, Pañaranda, Gen. Natividad, Gen. Tinio, Cabiao, San Isidro, Jaen, San Antonio, San Leonardo, Aliaga, Carranglan, Cuyapo, Guimba, Licab, Llanera, Lupao, Muñoz, Nampicuan, Pantabangan, Quezon, Rizal, Sto. Domingo, Talavera, Talugtug and Zaragoza.

Its five cities are Cabanatuan City, Gapan City, Palayan City, Science City of Muñoz and San Jose City.