UN appoints BIR's Kim Henares as tax expert

MANILA, Philippines — United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon appointed Kim Henares to a post as a tax expert, the Department of Finance (DoF) announced Tuesday.

Henares, commissioner of the Bureau of Internal Revenue, will serve among the 25 members of the UN Committee Experts on International Cooperation in Tax Matters.

"Commissioner Henares welcomes her appointment to the committee as an opportunity to advance the interest of developing countries in the formulation of tax treaty commentaries and recommendations to various tax issues brought about by increasing globalization and integration of economies," the DoF said in a statement.

Henares has launched campaigns against professions supposedly for evading taxes and has gone after high-profile personalities such as boxing champion and Sarangani Rep. Manny Pacquiao.

Henares hopes to contribute in the international organization from the perspective of someone from a developing country like the Philippines. Only 15 officials from developing nations were chosen to the committee.

She said that the Philippines faces serious challenges in enforcing laws and collecting taxes from cross-border transactions.

In a 2014 report, Global Financial Integrity estimates that the Philippine government has lost at least $23 billion, or P1 trillion, in tax revenues from trade misinvoicing between 1990 and 2011 alone.

"Unlike advanced countries, we lack the capacity to tackle complicated cross-border tax problems. It is important to have this platform and be part of this body where developing countries are given special attention in dealing with these issues," Henares.

The DOF said that prior to being appointed to the post, Henares has been active in international dialogues on tax transparency and fairness.

"Globalization does not just create opportunities for doing business, it also creates risks for tax evasion and base erosion," Henares said in the same statement.