Computerized system eases tax payments in Makati

By Michael Punongbayan, The Philippine Star

Beginning January 2006, Makati residents can pay real property taxes in any of the 13 barangay halls which are now equipped with computers directly linked to the treasury department of City Hall.

Mayor Jejomar Binay said the city’s computerized tax payment scheme will soon give taxpayers the convenience of paying real property taxes at their own barangay halls or in nearby barangays.

Through a computerized process, taxpayers need only to provide relevant and necessary information about their property and their tax due is immediately computed.

Binay said the system also allows the instant issuance of official receipts, which are printed in a matter of seconds.

Taxpayers, he noted, can pay their barangay halls or the one nearest their barangay a visit on the scheduled dates of payment.

"We have now expanded the coverage of the electronic tax payment scheme. Previously, it was only the residents in the barangays who can avail themselves of this service," Binay announced.

"Now, everyone can pay their taxes electronically and no longer need to go to City Hall," he said believing that Makati City’s computerized tax payment scheme again makes life easier in the country’s financial capital .

The treasury department said next year’s schedule for payments are as follows: Barangay Bel-Air on Jan. 3 and 4; Dasmariñas on Jan. 5; Forbes Park on Jan. 6; Magallanes on Jan. 7; Urdaneta on Jan. 9; and San Lorenzo on Jan. 11.

Tax payment schedules for Barangay Guadalupe Nuevo is on Jan. 12; San Antonio also Jan. 12; Bangkal on Jan. 13; Pio del Pilar on Jan. 16; Poblacion also on Jan. 16; Tejeros on Jan. 17; and Comembo on Jan. 17.

Payment centers are open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and are expected to be crowded but orderly since treasury department employees will be guiding taxpayers.

"Realty tax payments used to take at least a day to accomplish. But after we computerized the payment, we significantly reduced it to two to four minutes," Binay said.

In the past, he said taxpayers had to go to City Hall, line up, and wait for at least one day to pay their tax obligations.

The Makati city government’s computerization program was pilot tested in 2003 and has now been expanded to cover 13 barangays.

Binay said the city government is now working on introducing paperless transactions in all public services.

"We hope that in a few years, people can transact with our city government at any time and in any place. This will also make our services more efficient," he said.