THE Bureau of Customs (BoC) collected over P1.5 billion in additional revenue in 2021 from post-clearance audits on importers.
The bureau in a statement on Friday said collections over the course of the year rose 25%.
Collections were generated from the 349 audit notice letters on tax declaration and payment errors issued to importers last year.
The bureau also plans to collect more revenue from pending post-clearance audits from 2019 to 2021.
BoC has filed 55 demand letters representing about P12.5 billion in revenue.
“These are now being referred to the BoC Legal Service for filing of the necessary collection suit,” the bureau said.
Post-clearance audits help generate revenue for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) response, the BoC said.
The bureau collected P645.77 billion in total revenue in 2021, higher than the P630.21 billion posted in the last pre-pandemic year of 2019 as international trade rebounded after the 2020 economic downturn.
Collections last year also rose 20% from the P537 billion logged in 2020 and 4.7% above the bureau’s target for 2021.
The BoC attributed the revenue performance to improved valuation, operations against illegal imports, and improved compliance with customs laws.
Gradually improving import volumes and efforts to improve goods transport during the pandemic also contributed to higher collections, the BoC said. — Jenina P. Ibañez
