The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) released P23.67 billion in tax refunds from January to September 2026, nearly double the amount released during the same period last year as the agency accelerated payments to taxpayers and businesses.

The refunds were up from P12.42 billion in the first nine months of 2025, reflecting a 90.6-percent increase in releases.

BIR Commissioner Charlito Martin R. Mendoza said the agency is working to ensure approved claims are released without unnecessary delays, allowing businesses to recover funds for operations and cash flow.

“These are lawful refunds due to our taxpayers. Once a refund has been properly evaluated and approved for release, we see no reason to unnecessarily delay it,” Mendoza said.

He said faster refund processing is particularly important as businesses deal with higher energy costs.

The BIR said the increased releases support the administration’s efforts to create a more business-friendly environment and make government transactions faster and less costly.

Mendoza said tax administration involves not only collecting the correct amount of taxes but also returning funds that are properly due to taxpayers.

“Tax administration is not only about collecting what is properly due to government. We must also return what is properly due to the taxpayer once the claim has been evaluated and approved,” he said.

The BIR said the faster release of approved refunds is intended to improve taxpayer service while allowing businesses to put recovered funds back into their operations.