QUEZON CITY—The Bureau of Internal Revenue indicated a 13.5 percent increase in the first half of 2011 tax collections as compared to same time last year.

BIR Deputy Commissioner Celia C. King reported a P 458 billion tax revenue collection from January to June, during DZRB Radyo ng Bayan’s, NBN4’s, and the Philippine Information Agency’s “Talking Points.”

King said According the current increase in tax collection bested the first half data from 2010 which also rose by 10 percent from the 2009 tax collection.

However, the BIR is still 0.5 percent short of its targeted tax collection for the first semester of 2011. Collection performance is rated through revenues from BIR and non-BIR operations. Non-BIR operations include taxes from and security and treasury bonds whereas BIR operations include funds taken from income taxes.

“As far as our collections from BIR operations are concerned, nakuha po ang goal ng BIR. Nagkulang lang kami ng kaunti sa collection from non-BIR operations,” said King. Collection targets are determined through tax effort or the ratio of revenue against the current GDP and current prices.

The bureau also indicated the need to focus on the taxes from individuals practicing their professions such as lawyers and doctors. President Benigno Aquino III exposed figures taken from the taxes issued by these professionals during his recent State of the Nation Address indicating a dubious income averaging only P 8,000 per month from them.

“Kumukuha kami ng datos mula sa different government agencies tulad ng Professional Regulation Commission of the Philippines where we get the total number of lawyers, doctors, CPAs and other professionals at itong gagawin naming basehan sa mga taxpayers na nakaregister sa amin.” she said.

However, the BIR cannot fully monitor the transactions thus the agency urges citizens to ask for the official receipts so that these professionals will be forced to declare their true income.

Other BIR programs aiming to address the need for proper taxation is the Run After Tax Evaders (RATE) program which has filed over 59 tax evasion cases from July 2010 to date and Oplan Kandado for establishments which do not properly issue receipts.