BIR files charges against tax evaders
CALASIAO—Tax evaders, big or small, beware!
The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) in Region 1 made this warning to taxpayers in Pangasinan after filing several evasion cases recently in the provinces of La Union and Ilocos Sur in line with the ‘Run Against Tax Evaders’ program aimed at increasing the government’s tax collection.
At a press conference for Pangasinan media last Friday, BIR Regional Director Arnel Guballa cited five cases of tax evasion against tobacco consolidators in Ilocos Sur for their failure to file and pay percentage, value-added and incomes taxes for three consecutive years.
Slapped with tax evasion charges were tobacco consolidators or tobacco ‘cowboys’ Teresito Valera, Rosita Tabon, Mario Corpuz, Alexander Galanga and Arnel Martinez, all from Ilocos Sur.
A total of P21 million in deficiency taxes for 2009 to 2011 are due from these tobacco ‘cowboys’ who act as middlemen between farmers and tobacco companies.
The BIR discovered that a multi-national corporation engaged in the growing, processing and marketing of tobacco made payments for the services rendered by the ‘cowboys.’ The income payments were subject to tax but were never paid by the middlemen, explained lawyer Ronald Keirulf, chief of the legal division.
Earlier La Union residents Nelson Soloria, Mary Rose Natura and Shirley Eusebio also faced tax evasion charges for failing to pay the required taxes for the transfer of certain properties that they brought and sold, in violation of Sections 254 and 255 of the Tax Code.
“Ang BIR ay hindi namimili kung maliit o malaki (ang amount involved) ng sasampahan ng kaso. We are guided by the rules and we act with due process,” Guballa said.
Revenue District Officer Erlinda Victorino of La Union said the local government unit, particularly the Assessor’s Office, is in full support of the charges filed against the tax evaders.
“Hindi nila tino-tolerate ang hindi pagbayad o maling pagbayad,” Victorino said.
At the same time, the BIR officials reminded taxpayers that paying the correct taxes means helping in nation building.
In 2012, the BIR Region 1 office posted the highest collection growth rate of 16 percent with a P7.2 billion collection, P1 billion higher than in 2011. For this year, the collection goal is P9 billion. (PIA-Pangasinan/VHS)
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