The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has been recognized by the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) as the Top 2 Most Improved Government Agency, a milestone BIR Commissioner Charlito Mendoza said Saturday reflects the bureau’s deliberate shift toward a taxpayer-friendly, service-oriented approach.
Mendoza made the disclosure in an interview on DZRH News program Special on Saturday on August 8, as part of the DZRH SONA 2026 Series featuring the Department of Finance (DOF).
He said the recognition came from independent consultations with business organizations, chambers of commerce, and public and private sector partners, all of whom reported that the BIR is now perceived as friendlier and more helpful than it used to be.
“Lately lang po noong nakaraang buwan ay ang BIR ay kinilala ng ARTA bilang Top 2 Most Improved Agency,” Mendoza said.
The recognition reflects years of effort to dismantle a deeply entrenched public fear of the bureau, which Mendoza acknowledged openly.
“Kasi alam niyo ang impression sa BIR, pag nakakita ang negosyante ng taga-BIR, minsan parang mas takot pa sila kesa sa pulis kapag nakikita nila. So kinakailangang mabago natin ‘yung pananaw na ‘yun,” Mendoza said.
The CHAT program—Counsel, Help, and Assist Taxpayers—launched this year has been central to the image shift, sending BIR officers to markets, stores, and communities to assist businesses rather than penalize them. “So kinakailangang tingnan nila ang mga taga-BIR bilang katulong nila sa pagnenegosyo,” Mendoza said.
He said the bureau’s core philosophy has shifted from treating taxpayers as revenue sources to treating them as partners, and that this shift is the only sustainable path to long-term collection growth.
“Tayo po ay nagsusulong ng isang taxpayer-centric approach sa BIR. Ibig sabihin, ‘yung mga taxpayers natin, hindi natin sila itinuturing na mere sources of revenue, but as partners in nation building,” Mendoza said.
He added that even as the BIR collects record revenues, the approach must remain grounded in fairness and empathy. “Kinakailangang ang tax administration ay tempered din with compassion,” Mendoza said.
The results speak for themselves: BIR collections have grown from ₱2-point-something trillion when the Marcos administration began to ₱3.3 trillion this year, proving that a friendlier approach and record revenues are not mutually exclusive.
