BIR files complaint vs. 69 corporations, individuals for tax evasion

The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) on Wednesday filed complaints against 69 corporations, corporate officers, and accountants over the alleged issuance of ghost receipts.

BIR said the respondents allegedly violated Section 254 (tax evasion), Section 255 (failure to supply correct and accurate information in the ITR and VAT returns), Section 267 (perjury), and Section 257 (making false records or reports) of the National Internal Revenue Code. 

“Kaya ganito kadami ang sinampahan natin dahil gusto rin natin mabago ang kalakaran dito. We really want to change taxpayers' behavior na hindi na pwede ang ganitong kalakaran dahil malaki ang nawawalang buwis dito,” BIR Commissioner Romeo “Jun” Lumagui said in an ambush interview.

(The reason why we filed a complaint against so many individuals is because we want to change the way things are. We really want to change the behavior of taxpayers and tell them that this kind of thing is no longer allowed because we really lose so much revenue from this.)

According to the BIR, the 69 corporations and individuals have an estimated tax liability of P1.8 billion.

“Kasi rehistrado ang mga korporasyon na ito sa SEC. Rehistrado din sa amin sa BIR… they’re going through the process ng registration at kumukuha ng resibo pero again walang produktong ibinebenta at walang serbisyong ibinebenta. Ang talagang binebenta lang nila ay itong mga resibo na ito,” Lumagui said.

(These corporations are registered with the SEC. They are also registered with us at the BIR… they’re going through the process of registration and they have receipts but, again, they don’t have any products or services. What they are selling are these ghost receipts.)

The BIR commissioner reiterated his call for the public to pay taxes correctly. 

“Lahat sana tayo magbayad ng tamang buwis. Lahat tayo 'wag tayo dapat gumawa ng ganito dahil lahat naman ng buwis na nakokolekta ng BIR ay ginagamit natin para sa ikauunlad ng ating bayan,” he said.

(I hope everyone will pay taxes correctly. Everyone should avoid doing such things because all the taxes collected by BIR are being used for the good of the country.)—AOL, GMA Integrated News