BIR looking to hire 4,000 for anti-tax evasion drive

BIR chief Kim Jacinto-Henares

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MANILA - The Bureau of Internal Revenue intends to add 4,000 to its workforce in a bid to improve monitoring and enforcement of tax laws.

Commissioner Kim Jacinto-Henares told reporters that the bureau is in need of more personnel who will be deployed on the field.

The additional personnel will increase the bureau’s workforce from the current 12,000 to 16,000.

"We need to hire more people because other than the fact that some employees die, retire and resign, we also have to keep up with the demand brought about by the large and increasing number of taxpayers all over the country," Jacinto-Henares said.

She said the BIR wants to hire CPAs, collection officers and lawyers.

The bureau is strengthening its Run After the Tax Evaders Program. Given personnel constraints, the agency had focused on "big" tax evaders.

"Of course there are many people that we are running after. It’s just a matter of timing, and prioritizing the big ones. We are only few at the BIR, as compared to the number of taxpayers," Jacinto-Henares said.

"We have a lot of programs on the table especially in the areas of enforcement, monitoring as well as making payment of taxes easier for the people. In order to either continually compel or encourage them to pay their respective taxes in good faith we have to hire more people to sustain our goals," she added.

Reymarie dela Cruz, head of the bureau's tax information and education division, said the number of registered taxpayers as of last year stood at 18,957,477, broken down as follows:

- Individuals, 12,075,999, of which compensation income earners numbered 10,254,400 and professional taxpayers, 1,821,599;

- Corporate Taxpayers, 615,734; and

- Various taxpayers numbering 6.26 million, including estates and trusts; marginal income earners or those who are earning less than P100, 000 a year; one-time transactions; and persons registering under Executive Order 98

Of the bureau’s12,000 employees, 10,387 are personnel or below director level positions.

Jacinto-Henares said the bureau already asked the Department of Budget and Management to allot funding for new hires.

"It is not similar to the college entrance or a bar exam. This will not be a one-time process. This will be a continuing process, since the applicants have to take a series of examinations including psychological test. Then if they passed, interview will follow through, and then we will come back to them and inform them whether there are available positions waiting for them," she said.

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