BIR collects P6 billion from excise tax on sugary drinks

THE BUREAU of Internal Revenue (BIR) collected about P6 billion from the new sugary drinks tax in the first quarter.
“Sa (for) sugar-sweetened (beverages), P6 billion ang nakolekta namin dun (we collected P6 billion),” BIR Commissioner Caesar R. Dulay told reporters on Monday, April 16.
The BIR is temporarily collecting the excise taxes for sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) through old tax return forms, as it has yet to release the final implementing rules and regulations specific for the sugary drinks’ tax regime.
“There is a work around with reference to temporary instruction on returns to be filed using the usual payment form but eventually it will be institutionalized may formal na return na,” said BIR Deputy Commissioner Marissa O. Cabreros.
“So far the RR (Revenue Regulation) on SSB is already with the DOF; it’s being reviewed,” she added. — Elijah Joseph C. Tubayan