BIR Unveils New PESONet Tax Payment System
The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) revealed its latest tax payment system that will allow Filipinos to settle their final obligations quickly. This payment medium, alternatively known as the Philippine Electronic fund transfer System and Operations Network (PESONet), permits citizens to pay their taxes online.
BIR Commissioner Caesar Dulay, together with the Deputy Commissioners, BIR personnel, and Department of Finance (DOF) Undersecretary Antonette Tionko attended the PESONet’s soft launch at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. Tionko said the PESONet system is the first-ever use of digital payment for tax dues and other utilities in the Philippines.
The Land Bank of the Philippines, the Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC), and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) were also in attendance at the PESONet’s launch.
“Under this initiative, the BIR is the first government biller institution to pilot and adopt the interoperable digital bills payment service for tax collection,” Tionko said.
“This will help achieve the Duterte administration’s goal of financial inclusion for all Filipinos while improving the ease of doing business in the country.” She added.
PESONet Aims to Cut “Red Tape” and Expedite Doing Business
BIR introduced the PESONet system to remove excessive bureaucracy while improving the ease of doing business in the Philippines for foreign investors and local taxpayers alike. It also seeks to improve tax and non-tax collection and facilitate the public’s payment of bills at any time of the day.
The Land Bank of the Philippines and RCBC will start the pilot program for the processing of tax payments through the PESONet system. The BIR is also working with the Department of Finance (DOF) to expand the number of banks that will support the alternative tax payment system.
“The success of the pilot will allow BSP to confidently approve the expansion of his service to all interested financial and commercial institutions,” Tionko said.
With the launch of the electronic tax payment system, Dulay is firm that the taxing authority will manage to serve more taxpayers in the country and comply with Republic Act No. 11032, also known as the “An Act Promoting Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Delivery of Government Services.”
“And with great hope, we will be able to transition from a ‘Triple B Plus’ [credit rating] to perhaps an ‘A’-graded economy,” Dulay said at the soft-launch of the PESONet tax payment system.
