World boxing champion Manny ?PacMan? Pacquiao can knock them out cold with his fists, as he apparently can the tax collectors with a stroke or two of the pen.
In a recent show of force from the arguably law-abiding Filipino citizen, no blood was spilled, though, just ink that flowed to Pacquiao?s signature on the income tax returns that he filed with the Bureau of Internal Revenue on January 23, or three months ahead of schedule.
Pacquiao went to the bureau to personally file his 2008 income tax returns, or ITRs, and pay the tax due on them in the presence of Commissioner Sixto Esquivias 4th.
In a statement, the bureau said Pacquiao taking the initiative to file his tax returns much earlier than usual would encourage other taxpayers to do the same and thus avoid the rush in beating the April 15 deadline.
Pacquiao?s latest big victory was his demolition of another boxing great, Oscar ?Golden Boy? De La Hoya in Las Vegas in December last year.
Avoid the rush
Esquivas advised all taxpayers to file their tax returns this early if possible and pay the correct taxes at Authorized Agent Banks to avoid the rush.
He said banks would be open only on one Saturday, April 4, to accommodate taxpayers before the deadline since the second week would already be Holy Week.
The commissioner added that the Revenue District Offices would be setting up filing centers in select
areas all over the country to assist taxpayers in filing their returns.
He said that implementing guidelines would soon be issued on other acceptable modes of payment that would be adopted by the bureau to facilitate the payment of taxes for 2009.
Based on preliminary data, the tax bureau posted a shortfall of P60 billion in 2008 because of higher personal income-tax exemptions granted taxpayers and the slower economic growth.
The government had expected the bureau to collect P810 billion in revenues for 2008 from P713.6 billion in 2007.
It expects to collect P910.9 billion this year.
