BIR cracks whip on 13,403 firms issuing fake receipts

MANILA, Philippines - The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has cracked the whip on 13,403 companies found to have issued fraudulent receipts since the launch of Premyo sa Resibo (PSR), a text-messaging-based game aimed at easing tax evasion monitoring and increased tax revenue.

The BIR has reviewed more than 20 million official receipt issuances from over 1.2 million establishments and found various violations committed by these firms after comparing the TINs, receipt numbers and amounts sent in by PSR entrants with the information in their databases.

Based on its findings, some receipts are outright fakes, receipts from companies are registered but supposedly not operating, and some companies keeping two sets of books.

The PSR was part of the government’s campaign to track tax evasion by encouraging consumers to demand official receipts and sales invoices for all their purchase of goods and services. It is done in cooperation with BIR, the Department of Finance (DoF), Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp., and listed IT and gaming firm Philweb Inc.

Consumers can help improve the country’s tax collection efforts via mobile phone by texting details of receipts to 9777. They also get the chance to win in the daily, weekly and bi-weekly P1 million draws.

Aside from this, consumers may also visit and enter their receipt by going to the SM bills payment counters, customer service counters and mall information booths nationwide. Each raffle entry costs P2.50.

PSR has given away over P135 million worth of prizes to 124 consumers from all over the country which have been awarded P1 million cash each and over 600 winners have been awarded consolation prizes.

To date, 41 percent of winners are from the National Capital Region, 37 percent from Luzon, 13 percent from Visayas and 10 percent from Mindanao.

PhilWeb’s investment in PSR solidifies its role as key supporter of government’s revenue-increasing efforts.