BIR orders closure of 48 business establishments

MANILA, Philippines - The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has ordered the closure of at least 48 business establishments from March to May this year under it’s Oplan Kandado Program, a ranking official said.

Under the program, business operations of non-compliant taxpayers will be suspended and their establishments will be temporarily closed if they will be found to have violated certain tax laws.

The Oplan Kandado Program has seen the temporary closure of more than 230 establishments found to be violating the Tax Code since it was put in place last year.

BIR Deputy Commissioner Gregorio Cabantac said that the business establishments that have been padlocked are located in Metro Manila, Iloilo, Tacloban, Leyte, Sigurao, Davao and Negros Oriental.

Meanwhile, under its reinvigorated Run After Tax Evaders Program, Cabantac said the BIR now has 129 cases pending before the Department of Justice.

In addition to this, Cabantac said the BIR has filed 167 cases filed against individual and corporations that are currently active either in the Court of Tax Appeals, the regional trial courts and the metropolitan trial courts.

The BIR hopes to collect a total of P7.8 billion from the cases covered under the program.

The RATE program has secured its first criminal conviction at the Court of Tax Appeals on two tax evasion cases filed against businesswoman Gloria Kintanar, distributor of Forever Living Products.

Other convictions include the decision on the case against businessmen Angelito Reyes and co-accused Efren del Rosario, president and treasurer of welding company Ardent International Products.

Furthermore, Cabantac said the BIR also won a case at the Department of Justice against the Taiwanese owners of Better Philippines Apparel Inc. for tax deficiencies.

Cabantac said the agency is serious in its efforts against tax evaders and as such, reminded delinquent taxpayers on their obligations.

The BIR is tasked to collect P830 billion this year, down from P875 billion last year.