Strong start to 2025: BIR collections jump 14%, Customs sees 8% increase

Both the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and the Bureau of Customs (BOC) have raked in higher revenues in January, surpassing the total collections posted in the same month last year. 

During a command conference on Wednesday, Feb. 19, Department of Finance (DOF) Secretary Ralph G. Recto commended the two government’s tax agencies for “achieving higher revenue collections” in January this year.

According to DOF, preliminary January data showed that the BIR, the government’s main tax agency, has increased its collections to ₱350.6 billion from ₱308.44 billion in the same period last year. This is equivalent to a 13.7-percent or ₱42.16-billion increase.

Similarly, the BOC, the country's second-biggest tax-collection agency, has also raised its collections to ₱79.3 billion from ₱73.4 billion in the previous year. This is equivalent to 8.1-percent  or P5.9 billion increase. 

For 2025, the Cabinet-level Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) has tasked the BOC to collect ₱1.06 trillion, the first time targeting the ₱1-trillion mark. Meanwhile, the BIR has been tasked to collect ₱3.2 trillion.

To recall, the BIR exceeded its collection target in 2024, posting a 20-year high record. BIR Commissioner Romeo Lumagui Jr. earlier said that the agency will mark another record for 2025. 

Meanwhile, the BOC fell short of its 2024 goal, blaming the recent reduction on rice tariffs and delayed tax reforms. 

During the command conference, the finance chief urged both the BIR and BOC “to complete and achieve the full implementation of their respective digitalization strategies at the soonest time possible.”

This year, the BIR will prioritize digitalization efforts, including the rollout of the Electronic Invoicing System (EIS), full utilization of the Internal Revenue Integrated System (IRIS), the Online Withholding Tax System, and enhancements to eFiling, ePayment, and the Taxpayer’s Portal. 

Meanwhile, the Customs will focus on the full digitalization of the agency’s processes, including “integration of the different payment channels to the e-Pay Portal System, implementation of the new electronic certificate of payment, integration of the BOC Postal System with PHLPost, and establishment of regional data centers.”