New, modern BIR building to rise by 2022

To better serve taxpayers, the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) will start construction next year of a new, high-rise national office building that is expected to be operational by 2022.

Deputy Commissioner Arnel Guballa of the BIR told the Inquirer Wednesday that the modern, 24-storey building would replace the dilapidated facility currently housing the BIR’s national headquarters in Quezon City.

The new BIR building will rise in the area currently being occupied by its parking lot, Guballa said, adding that construction of the new facility would cost about P10 billion.

Once construction begins next year, completion is expected before the Duterte administration steps down in 2022, according to Guballa.

The BIR has included the construction of a new national office building among its 20 priority programs and projects for 2020 under Revenue Memorandum Circular (RMC) 123-2019 issued by Internal Revenue Commissioner Caesar R. Dulay last month.

Among the other priority programs identified to further shore up the BIR’s tax take next year are the following: Run After Tax Evaders (Rate); Oplan Kandado; broadening of the tax base; intensified audit and investigations; enhanced implementation of the arrears management program in the regional offices; development of online registration and update system (Orus); tax education campaign/public awareness program/consultation/information dissemination; ease of doing business and efficient government service; e-Invoicing/e-Receipting and eSales reporting; fuel marking and field testing program; automation of withholding tax BIR Form 2307 and issuance of withholding tax certificates; digital transformation; integrity management program; information and communications technology (ICT) solutions for improved taxpayers services/availment of commercial data center; optimization/implementation of internal revenue integrated system (Iris) formerly eTIS; lease of contact center solution; subscription of ICT software (chatbot); effective recruitment, capacity development, career advancement, succession planning and retention strategies; and budget utilization program.

For 2020, the BIR had been tasked to collect P2.576 trillion in taxes, higher than the P2.32-trillion target for this year.