In an interview for Agenda by Cito Beltran, ACG Founding Chairman and Chief Tax Advisor Mon Abrea talked about his experiences at the Harvard Kennedy School.
He recounted the beginning of his journey, and talked about how he had received recommendations from various government officials that he had worked with. These recommendations were a recognition that he was doing something worthwhile in the country, through his tax advocacy, and that he was making a difference.
At the Harvard Kennedy School, Abrea said that the learnings were overwhelming and that he had to engage face-to-face with government leaders and other respectable people on the world stage. He also talked about how diverse his classes were. It was usual, for instance, to hear insights from someone in Syria, Turkey, or from other countries on the other side of the globe.
Abrea also had the opportunity to talk about the TaxWhizPH Mobile App and about his tax advocacies.
On his tax advocacy, he said that he had worked closely with the Department of Trade and Industry, the Anti-Red Tape Authority, and even the Senate. He had also shared his proposal for a Risk-Based Audit – a data-driven approach on how to conduct BIR Audit – with BIR Commissioner Guillermo.
On the TaxWhizPH Mobile App, Abrea said that the app would be free and it was developed as a means of making the payment of taxes easier. Through the app, a taxpayer can check deadlines, compute their tax liabilities, and calculate how much they had to pay. They would also be able to file their tax returns through the app.
The most important feature of the app is its feature allowing users to ask questions to ACG’s tax experts – including Abrea himself – for free. At the end of the day, the app’s main goal is to help taxpayers make sense of taxes, so the app would help them in understanding how to properly comply with their taxes.
Abrea emphasized that the app values data privacy and that it would just be a platform through which taxpayers can file their taxes with the BIR.
