BIR files P1-B tax evasion complaint vs Alice Guo

The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has filed a P1-billion tax evasion complaint against former Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo before the Department of Justice (DOJ).

In a statement on Thursday, the BIR accused Guo of violating Section 254 of the National Internal Revenue Code (NIRC) of 1997, as amended, for attempting to evade or defeat tax, as well as Section 255 for failing to file tax returns and pay taxes.

The bureau said Guo failed to file annual income tax returns from 2019 to 2023, resulting in an estimated income tax deficiency of more than P1.008 billion, inclusive of surcharges and interest.

According to the BIR, its investigation stemmed from Guo’s testimony during a Senate hearing on May 22, 2024, regarding a raid on a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) compound in Bamban. During the hearing, she admitted to owning various real properties, vehicles, and interests in several corporations.

The agency said its subsequent investigation uncovered significant assets, expenditures, and financial transactions linked to Guo, including real properties, motor vehicles, a helicopter, bank transactions, shares of stock, and other acquisitions.

“BIR records likewise showed that Guo failed to file annual income tax returns for five consecutive years despite substantial documented expenditures, acquisitions, and financial transactions during the same period,” the bureau said.

“Using the expenditure method to reconstruct income, the BIR evaluated the available records and found that the submitted documents were insufficient to explain the magnitude of the expenditures and transactions identified during the investigation,” it added.

Based on its findings, the bureau concluded that Guo had undeclared income and failed to pay the corresponding taxes.

Guo has been detained at the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City since December 2025 following her conviction for qualified human trafficking. —VBL, GMA News