Taxpayer services go digital with Hack-A-Tax

The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) with the support of United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has launched a digital initiative aimed at making it easier for taxpayers and business entities to access and interact with BIR online. BIR’s digital transformation is initiated in part through Hack-A-Tax Philippines which was launched last October 15, 2019.

Hack-A-Tax is an innovation challenge that brings talented and skilled IT professionals, and students across the country to help develop simple, streamlined and serviceable digital tax services for micro and small businesses. 

The competition aims to design the best software to digitize BIR’s taxpayers’ services that include tax registration, TIN application, tax filing and payments, among others.

During the October launch, Hack-A-Tax formally opened its invitation for interested parties to submit their proposals until November 15, 2019. Details and mechanics can be found at the official Hackatax website via www.hackatax.ph.

From all submitted proposals, a panel of judges composed of IT and tax experts will review, choose and announce the top 10 entries during the PH Startup Week on November 22, 2019. From November 23 to December this year, Hack-A-Tax finalists will proceed to the app development phase where they will have access to mentors such as BIR resource persons, tax experts, IT developers and industry leaders.

The BIR will then conduct a one-day-boot camp on the third week of January 2020 where experts will mentor them before the day of their actual app or programming presentation to a panel of distinguished jurors. Top three winners will then be selected. Apart from owning, operating, maintaining and monetizing the chosen apps, the winners will also get the following cash prizes: 

Php100,000.00 for the third placer, Php200,000.00 for the second placer and Php300,000.00 for the first placer.

The mobile apps are expected to be ready for service by February 2020 in time for the April 15, 2020 deadline for the annual individual income tax filing and payments.

Hack-A-Tax Philippines is co-organized by DevCon Philippines, Asian Consulting Group (ACG) and media.Xchange PR.