SyCipLaw Bulletin # 8: Extension of Deadlines to Pay National Taxes, Local Business Taxes, to Avail of Tax Amnesty, and to Submit Documents to the BIR

A. The Commissioner of Internal Revenue has extended the deadlines for the filing of returns and payment of annual income tax and other taxes by issuing RMC No. 28-2020 (Filing of the 2019 Income Tax Returns and Submission of Required Attachments) dated March 18, 2020 and RMC No. 29-2020 (Amending Revenue Memorandum Circular No. 26-2020, Relative to the Extension of Deadlines for the Filing of Various Returns and Payment of Taxes Due Thereon) dated March 19, 2020, in view of the declaration by the President of an enhanced community quarantine over Luzon from March 16 to 12 midnight of April 13 (ECQ).

B. On April 8, 2019, the Commissioner issued Revenue Regulations (RR) No. 4-2019 (Implementing Rules and Regulations of Republic Act No. 11213, Otherwise Known as the “Tax Amnesty Act”, Providing for the Guidelines on the Processing of Tax Amnesty Application on Tax Delinquencies) providing guidelines for availing a tax amnesty on delinquencies covering all national internal revenue taxes collected by the BIR and value-added tax and excise taxes collected by the Bureau of Customs for 2017 and prior years

C. The BIR has suspended the running of the statute of limitations for the assessment and collection of national taxes under Sections 203 and 222 of the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997, as amended (Tax Code), for a period “starting on March 16, 2020 until the lifting of the state of national emergency and for [60] days after.”

D. The Insurance Commission issued IC Circular Letter (CL) No. 2020-18 (Guidelines Regarding the Extension of Grace Period of All Insurance, Pre-Need and HMO Policies/Plans/Agreements due to COVID-19 Coronavirus Outbreak in the Philippines) dated March 23, 2020 which strongly encourages insurers to extend the grace period for premium payments that remain unpaid during the period of March 15 to April 13 or up to a later date deemed appropriate by the company, by at 31 days.

The bulletin was prepared by SyCipLaw partner Carina C. Laforteza, with the assistance of associate, Hailin DG. Quintos and legal assistant, Severino Miguel B. Sanchez.

The full text of the bulletin can be found below:


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