LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – The municipal council approved a resolution extending the processing of business permits and payment of local taxes without penalties, surcharges and fines until March 31, 2022 in the municipality to allow taxpayers to raise the needed money to settle their obligations in consideration of the enormous effect of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic to the employment and economic activities of the people.
Resolution No. 11-2022 authored by Councilor Nestor T. Fongwan, Jr. stated that granting an extension on the processing of business permits and payment of local taxes without penalties and surcharges is in consonance to the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Advisory supporting the financial recovery of businesses from the adverse effects caused by the ongoing pandemic.
Earlier, mayor Romeo K. Salda wrote the municipal council requesting for the extension of the processing of business permits and payment of local taxes without penalties or surcharges until March 31, 2022 in the municipality.
Under the pertinent provisions of Republic Act (RA) 7160 or the Local Government Code of 1991, the deadline for the processing of business permits and the settlement of local taxes is every 20th of January except when local governments have existing ordinances that prescribe the mode of settlement, the processing of business permits and the settlement of business taxes by taxpayers in their respective areas of jurisdiction.
Fongwan stipulated that this extension is part of the efforts of the municipal government to ease the burden from the taxpayers in having to process their business permits and pay their local taxes within the prescribed deadline and give them time to raise the amount needed to settle their taxes.
According to him, the municipal government wants to give time for the taxpayers to remedy the situation while concerned government agencies and local governments are also working on the gradual and safe revival of the local economy to help people get back their jobs and economic activities.
While taxes are the lifeblood of the government, the local legislator claimed the need for the municipal government to look after the welfare of the populace by relaxing the fixed deadline in the processing of permits and payment of local taxes to ease the pressure on taxpayers in the payment of their obligations with the government.
He asserted that the municipal government will continue to look for ways on how to help taxpayers in settling their taxes and processing their permits so that they can help in the ongoing gradual and safe revival of the local economy following the significant decrease in COVID-19 cases in the municipality over the past several weeks.