The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) announced today that gross tax collections reached P1.155 trillion from January to April 2026, driven by aggressive digitalization efforts and organizational reforms initiated during Commissioner Charlito Martin R. Mendoza’s first six months in office.

Speaking before the American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (AmCham) during a joint dialogue on tax priorities and modernization initiatives, Commissioner Mendoza revealed that the Bureau exceeded its four-month collection target by P9.631 billion (0.84%). This milestone was achieved despite the extension of the Annual Income Tax Return filing deadline from April 15 to May 15, mandated by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. For the month of April alone, the BIR posted P422.378 billion in gross collections, outperforming its monthly goal by P12.776 billion (3.12%).

“While stronger collections are important, how we collect matters just as much,” Commissioner Mendoza said. “The Bureau is moving with greater urgency today, not only on reforms that taxpayers can immediately feel, but also on long-term institutional changes that will strengthen tax administration well beyond the present moment. These are not stopgap solutions. They are part of a broader effort to build a more modern, accountable, and service-oriented BIR.”

Following an initial seven-week period focused on stabilizing audit and collection concerns, the BIR launched BIR DARES in January 2026. The comprehensive, five-pillar reform agenda covers:

1. Digital and Data Transformation

2. Audit Reform and Accountability

3. Revenue Collection and Revenue Base Protection

4. Employee Empowerment and Welfare Promotion

5. Service Excellence and Stakeholder Engagement

Taxpayer-Centric and Digital Innovations Under the BIR DARES agenda, Commissioner Mendoza highlighted several key initiatives aimed at simplifying compliance and curbing corruption:

• Enhanced Transparency: Introduction of a strict one-LOA (Letter of Authority)-per-taxpayer-per-taxable-year policy, system-assisted case selection, and the REVIE-powered LOA Verifier.

• Digital Accessibility: Launch of the Interactive Digital Tax Calendar, Digital TIN integration via the eGovPH App, and the soft launch of the Taxpayer Portal for the Large Taxpayers Service.

• Micro & Small Business Support: Implementation of the streamlined BIR Form No. 1701-MS and QR-enabled Registration Seal Badges.

Internally, the Bureau has strengthened its Digital Transformation Steering Committee (DXSC) and rolled out ReMIND (Revenue Management and Intelligence Dashboard). ReMIND provides leadership with real-time visibility into collections, enforcement activities, and operational performance to accelerate strategic decision-making.

To support the administration’s ease-of-doing-business mandate, the BIR has enacted several sweeping regulatory reliefs, including streamlined tax exemptions for socialized and economic housing, clarity on cross-border services and educational partnership incentives, an updated list of VAT-exempt medicines, and the temporary suspension of excise taxes on LPG and kerosene. The Bureau also signed simplified guidelines to accelerate the closure and cancellation of business registrations.

“Modernization is not only about digital systems. It also requires clearer rules, simpler procedures, and more responsive administration,” Mendoza added, emphasizing that these reforms are being institutionalized through standardized policies and digital workflows to ensure permanent systemic change.

The AmCham dialogue concluded with a roundtable discussion and open forum featuring Deputy Commissioners Larry M. Barcelo, Ma. Rosario Charo G. Enriquez-Curiba, and Marissa O. Cabreros, who collaborated with business leaders on the phased implementation of the Taxpayer Portal and ongoing audit reforms.

Commissioner Mendoza closed the forum with a call to action for the private sector: “The BIR cannot do this work alone. Lasting reform in tax administration requires the continued engagement of taxpayers, businesses, professional groups, and partners such as AmCham. We need your support, your feedback, and your constructive criticism to help us test these reforms against real business experience.”