The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has registered the highest collection surplus last month raising a total of P91.1 billion which was P4.6 billion higher over the goal of P86.2 billion, Revenue Commissioner Joel L. Tan-Torres disclosed Thursday.

The take was also P4.1 billion higher over the actual collection of P87 billion for the same period last year. The monthly collection excess during the first quarter of the year averages between P2 to P3 billion.

BIR insiders described the April collection as "remarkable" considering the fact that it lost more than P7 billion as a result of casualty claims made by victims of typhoon "Ondoy" and "Pepeng" in their 2009 income tax returns and a string of tax eroding measures including the reduction of income tax rates from 35 to 30 percent.

The BIR chief attributed the collection surpluses during the first four months of the year to the various collection and administrative reforms making taxpayers aware of their financial obligations to the government. (Jun Ramirez)