Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Commissioner Romeo Lumagui Jr. said the agency’s personnel visited more than 200,000 establishments nationwide as part of the agency’s Friendly Tax Compliance Verification Drive (TCVD).

“The BIR educated over 200,000 establishments during its Friendly TCVD last week. Revenue officers were deployed all over the Philippines to visit and educate businesses on their tax compliance requirements,” Lumagui said in a statement Thursday.

“This nationwide taxpayer education campaign marks the BIR’s shift towards a taxpayer-centric agency, instead of the traditional goal-oriented government office,” he added.

The TCVD held from Feb. 10 to 14 focused on helping taxpayers understand their tax obligations, identify common issues, and guide them in correcting these to ensure proper compliance with tax laws.

During the inspections, the BIR found that around 12 percent of the establishments visited were unregistered, reinforcing the need for continued efforts to promote proper business registration.

The BIR said many of these businesses were also unaware of their obligations.

The most frequent violations include operating without proper registration, not keeping books of accounts at the place of business, and failing to display a certificate of registration.

It added that some businesses also needed to improve their record-keeping, such as making timely entries in their books of accounts and properly issuing invoices.

The BIR reminded all taxpayers to file their 2024 Annual Income Tax Return and pay the exact tax due on or before April 15, 2025.

Taxpayers who need assistance are encouraged to visit their nearest BIR Revenue District Office or check the official BIR website.

“Taxpayer education leads to better voluntary compliance. Better services lead to better voluntary compliance. The BIR and the private sector will always be partners in nation-building,” Lumagui said. (PNA)