ABS-CBNnews.com

Posted at 05/05/2014 11:31 AM | Updated as of 05/05/2014 11:31 AM

MANILA, Philippines – The Bureau of Internal Revenue has extended the deadline for self-employed professionals, including doctors and dentists, to register their official appointment books and submit their affidavit of standard fees.

The original deadline was set for May 5, but the BIR decided to move it to May 31 after several groups of medical practitioners made a request.

“In-extend ho ang deadline to May 31 kasi maraming request from medical societies,” BIR chief Kim Henares told DZMM’s Failon Ngayon.

The BIR has required self-employed professionals to submit their book of accounts, whether manual or computerized, to the BIR for approval and registration every year.

Under Revenue Regulation No. 4-2014 which took effect on April 5, the BIR imposed additional requirements to monitor the self-employed professionals’ service fees. This includes the submission of an affidavit indicating their rates, as well as registration of official appointment books containing the names of clients and the date and time of meetings.

“Nag-require kami ng book of accounts and appointment books para makita namin ang kliyente nila. Bibilangin namin ang resibo at mga kliyente niya. Yun affidavit of standard fees, ito yun standard fees nila para kung mag-cocompute kami, ito ang number ng kliyente niyo, ito ang fees niyo, at ito lumalabas,” Henares said the revenue regulation covers self-employed professionals such as doctors, dentists, accountants, architects, engineers and interior decorators.

The BIR has said the regulation would “to promote transparency and eradicate tax evasion among self-employed.”

Last month, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) challenged the constitutionality of the BIR revenue regulation at the Supreme Court. The SC issued a temporary restraining order stopping the BIR from requiring lawyers to disclose their fees.