BIR collections jump 15% in May to ₱279.1 billion

Higher tax collections and stronger compliance efforts help lift government revenues despite a monthly decline in overall collections.

The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) collected ₱279.1 billion in May, up 15% from the same month last year, giving the government’s largest revenue agency a strong boost during a month when overall state revenues declined.

The increase was partly driven by the extension of the annual tax filing and payment deadline from April 15 to May 15. The BIR also credited several reforms and digital initiatives, including the rollout of a taxpayer portal for large taxpayers, QR-enabled registration certificates for online businesses, and measures tied to the country’s updated mining royalty system.

The strong May performance helped lift the agency’s collections for the first five months of 2026 to ₱1.42 trillion, up nearly ₱67 billion from the same period last year.

The Bureau of Customs also contributed to the government’s revenue effort, collecting ₱80 billion in May, up 5.7% from a year earlier despite lower import volumes and the temporary suspension of excise taxes on LPG and kerosene.

Together, stronger collections from the country’s two biggest revenue agencies helped keep government revenues on an upward path for the year. For businesses, healthy tax collections are often seen as a sign of continued economic activity and consumer spending, while giving the government more resources to fund infrastructure, public services, and other development programs.

READ: