BIR extends 2019 ITR filing, payment until May 30

Update

MANILA, Philippines – The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has further extended until May 30 the deadline to file and pay 2019 income tax returns (ITRs) after the government pushed back the lifting of the ongoing enhanced community quarantine in Luzon and other parts of the country to April 30.

Published on Wednesday, Revenue Regulations (RR) No. 10-2020 signed by Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III and Internal Revenue Commissioner Caesar R. Dulay moved previously announced due dates for certain tax obligations.

BIR Deputy Commissioner Arnel S.D. Guballa said RR 10-2020 included the deadline for 2019 ITRs, which had been moved to May 15 when the initial one-month lockdown was implemented.

Guballa said that since May 30 falls on a Saturday, the actual due date will be on May 29, Friday.

Under the Tax Code, filing and payment of the annual ITRs were scheduled every April 15 of the following year.

RR 10-2020 contained new deadlines for a total of 40 transactions and documents, including value-added tax (VAT) refunds, tax credit/refund applications, among others.

“While the deadlines are extended, the bureau acknowledges that some taxpayers wish to file and pay taxes early but have not yet finalized their financial statements and/or returns. Taxpayers who file their tax returns within the original deadline or prior to the extended deadline can amend their tax returns at any time on or before the extended due date. An amendment that will result in additional tax to be paid, can still be paid without the imposition of corresponding penalties (surcharge, interest and compromise penalties) if the same shall be done not later than the extended deadline as provided under existing rules and regulations,” the BIR said.

“A taxpayer whose amended returns will result in overpayment of taxes paid, can opt to carry over the overpaid tax as credit against the tax due for the same tax type in the succeeding periods‘ tax returns, aside from filing for claim for refund,” the BIR added.

Last week, the BIR also further extended the deadline of its ongoing tax amnesty on delinquencies to June 8.

The BIR earlier moved to May 23 instead of April 23 originally the last day to avail of the first-ever delinquencies amnesty in the country, which started in April last year, covering all national taxes—capital gains tax, documentary stamp tax, donor’s tax, excise tax, income tax, percentage tax, value-added tax (VAT), and withholding tax—for the taxable years 2017 and previous years.

Other statutory deadlines to submit or file documents and returns as well as pay certain taxes were also extended by the BIR by another 15 calendar days nationwide, while the quarterly percentage tax return due on April 25 was moved to May 25.