COVID-19: How To Pay Your Taxes Before The Extended BIR Deadline

3 min read By eCompareMo on March 19, 2020

Yes, you can now pay your taxes with the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) without risking exposure to the coronavirus.

After mounting pressure on the agency, the BIR has finally caved in and extended the deadline of filing income tax returns (ITR) amid the COVID-19 threat. From the April 15 original deadline, it was extended by another month to May 15.

According to the BIR Revenue Memorandum Circular No. 25-2020 dated March 18, the deadline has been moved by a month later without penalizing those who will pay beyond April 15.

“The emergency measure is being offered to provide relief to Filipino taxpayers who will not be able to prepare, let alone file, the necessary ITR documents on or before the original annual deadline of April 15 because of skeletal workforce arrangement and enhanced community quarantine rules that the national government has implemented to contain the pandemic,” the BIR said.

Although the BIR stressed the importance played by the filing of ITR in helping the Duterte administration beef up its efforts to contain COVID-19, they say that there will be a “shortfall in tax collections of around P145 billion” due to delay in processing tax payments.

Nevertheless, the BIR encourages those who can file their ITRs as early as possible to do so to give the government budget to combat the spread of the 2019 coronavirus disease.

“The government is thus appealing to those who are able file within the deadline or even as early as now to do so through mechanisms that have been made available by the BIR, including online filing and payment platforms,” the agency said.

How to pay taxes online

The BIR has designated certain payment channels that will allow Filipinos to pay their taxes without going to the banks. In case you’re one of the many people who need to complete what they owe the government, make sure you follow these steps.

Pay taxes via Landbank electronic services

Who are eligible: Land Bank of the Philippines account holders, cardholders with BancNet credit/debit/prepaid card holders, PesoNet users

1. Go to the BIR website or Landbank Link.BizPortal website.

2. Select the “ePAY” icon and then click “pay now.”

3. When asked for the merchant, select the Bureau of Internal Revenue. Alternately, you can search the agency’s whole name using the search function on top of the page.

4. Select “tax payment” as the type of transaction with the merchant.

5. Enter your tax payment details and card details of the account you wish to use to settle your tax dues.

6. Wait for the payment confirmation. You can print it or just wait for the email confirmation that your tax has been settled.

(Read: BIR Wants Online Sellers To Register Businesses By July 31)

Pay taxes via Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP)

Who are eligible:BancNet ATM/credit/debit/prepaid card users, Visa/Mastercard debit/credit cardholders, ECPay users

1. Go to the DBP PayTax website.

2. Enter information asked on the homepage such as TIN, BIR branch code, tax type, and others.

3. Review and certify that your information is correct.

4. Select your mode of payment.

5. Key in your personal information and push through with the payment.

6. You will be asked one last time to verify the information you provided, such as tax details, payment information, and personal details. Click “submit” to proceed.

7. You will receive an email and text confirmation once payment has been processed.

(Read: Bank Advisories For The COVID-19 Enhanced Community Quarantine Period)

Pay taxes via Gcash

Who are eligible:all Gcash users

1. Open your Gcash app and enter your four-digit MPIN.

2. Once you’re in the main screen, choose “pay bills” and select “government” as category.

3. Select BIR as the biller.

4. Enter your tax details like branch code, TIN, form series, return period and other relevant details, and amount to be paid.

5. Review your details after prompt and click “confirm.”

6. You will receive a text, email, and in-app confirmation that your payment has been sent.

If you currently don’t have a Gcash account, we have a step-by-step guide on Gcash registration and all its services.

Pay taxes via PayMaya

Who are eligible: All PayMaya users

1. Log in to your PayMaya account by opening the app.

2. Select “pay bills” from the home screen.

3. Search for BIR as the biller you will pay.

4. Enter your tax details like branch code, TIN, form series, return period and other relevant details, and amount to be paid.

5. Review your payment details before proceeding. When everything is correct, press the “pay” button.

6. Wait for the in-app confirmation that your payment has been sent. You will also receive SMS and email receipts of your payment.

We also have a comprehensive guide on using PayMaya for users who do not have a PayMaya account yet.