BIR eyes P39.73 billion from 111 tax cases

MANILA, Philippines - The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), the government’s main revenue agency, hopes to collect P39.73 billion from 111 tax evasion cases filed at the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Of the 111 tax evasion cases, the Justice department has already resolved 26 of these cases and 24 have been filed in various courts.

Furthermore, some 52 cases have already been submitted for resolution including that of former General Carlos Garcia and his brother-in-law Edgardo Yambao, as well as former Rep. Prospero Pichay, Jr.

Garcia, former AFP comptroller and accused plunderer and his wife Clarita supposedly failed to pay and declare proper amount of taxes in 2004.

The BIR said the two earned an income of P273 million in 2004 but have a tax deficiency of P235.8 million.

The BIR’s case against Yambao, meanwhile, stemmed from his failure to file his income tax returns for taxable years 1999 and from 2001 to 2005 despite making several deposits of substantial amounts in several banks and acquiring properties of substantial amounts.

According to the BIR, Yambao has a total deficiency income tax in the amount of P285.7 million.

Pichay, the beleaguered former congressman of Surigao and former chairman of the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA), is facing tax raps for allegedly recording a substantial increase in his income when he became chairman of LWUA in 2008 which he used to acquire real estate properties and even a private airplane.

In its complaint, the BIR alleged that Pichay attempted to evade taxes in 2009.

According to the BIR’s investigation, Pichay is a registered taxpayer and that he did not file any income tax return (ITR) for taxable year 2009.

His tax liabilities amounted to P32 million, the BIR said.

The others cases are still for assignment or are still in the preliminary investigation stage.

The BIR, which accounts for 70 percent of government revenues, has been stepping up efforts to widen the tax base and boost collections.

It is tasked to collect P1.066 trillion this year, the first time in its history that its revenue goal reached the P1.066-trillion mark.