The city government of Makati on Thursday announced that the Business Permits and Licensing Office and other frontline offices will remain open after office hours and on weekends to accommodate applications for renewal of business permits and tax payments in time for the Jan. 20 deadline.
Makati Mayor Abigail Binay authorized the concerned offices to render overtime services for the convenience of taxpayers.
She also ordered the Finance Department to provide free lunch to the first 200 business taxpayers daily from Monday to Friday only, beginning Jan. 8 until Jan. 19.
“We have planned ahead for the greater convenience of our taxpayers, whom we highly value as our indispensable partners in sustaining Makati’s rapid economic growth and overall development,” she said.
Finance chief and acting City Treasurer Jesusa Cuneta said stubs for the free lunch will be given to clients upon payment of the amount due with the cashier. They may then proceed to the designated area at the ground floor lobby of Makati City Hall Building II to claim their free lunch.
Cuneta also said that clients will be treated to free-flowing coffee and biscuits daily on weekdays during the renewal period.
Moreover, BPLO chief Maribert Pagente said since Tuesday, BPLO has been open to serve taxpayers beyond office hours, and will also be open on weekends until Jan. 20.
From Jan. 3 to 5, they will be open until 7pm. The rest of the schedule will be as follows: Jan. 6 and 7 (Saturday and Sunday), 8am to 5pm; Jan. 8 to 12 (Monday to Friday), 8am to 10pm; Jan. 13 and 14 (Saturday and Sunday), 8am to 8pm; Jan. 15 to 19 (Monday to Friday), 8am to 10pm; and Jan. 20, 8am to 8pm.
Pagente urged business owners to beat the Jan. 20 deadline in order to avoid the penalties on late payments, which include a 25 percent surcharge and a two percent penalty per month of delay until the amount due is fully settled.
Under the Makati Revenue Code, discounts are given to non-delinquent taxpayers, as follows: 10 percent for full year RPT payments made until Jan. 20, and five percent discount for prompt quarterly payments (Quarter 1 until Jan. 20; Quarter 2 until April 20; Quarter 3 until July 20; and Quarter 4 until Oct. 20).
Annual RPT payments made after March will incur an eight percent penalty on the first quarter, and two percent on every succeeding month. For late quarterly RPT payments (made after the last day of the quarter, i.e., March 31, June 30, Sept. 30, Dec. 31), an eight percent penalty will be imposed for that quarter, and two percent on every succeeding month.
For miscellaneous fees and taxes, the deadline for professional tax payments is on Jan. 31, while the deadline for payments on Community Tax, both corporate and individual, is on Feb. 28.