The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) is expected to sustain a huge collection deficit next month, wiping out collection surpluses of more than P16 billion that the agency generated in the first quarter of the year.

BIR Commissioner Joel Tan-Torres said the bureau raised P114 billion in January and February, which was P9-billion higher than the goal and P14-billion more than what it collected in the same period last year.

Tan-Torres also said during a command conference with BIR regional directors and revenue district officers in Manila that the agency expects to generate a hefty collection surplus in March, although he added that "the month of April will be very difficult."

He would not say, however, how much the expected losses would amount to as a result of casualty claims arising from the devastation wrought by typhoons "Ondoy" and "Pepeng."

The revenue chief earlier estimated claims of losses to reach P30 billion from the thousands of businesses in Metro Manila and other parts of Luzon that were struck by the twin typhoons.

The losses will be reflected when these taxpayers file their 2009 income tax returns on or before April 15.

Said losses were on top of the more than P6 billion that the government will lose from the adoption of the optional standard deduction scheme in the filing of tax returns and reduction of taxes imposed on insurance payments and exemption of local water districts from taxation.

The BIR is targetting to raise P830 billion this year.