Tom files suit vs BIR chief

A PETITION was filed in court to require the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to publish a list of all taxpayers and their taxable income in the country yesterday.

Rep. Tomas Osmeña, who filed the petition before the Regional Trial Court in Cebu City, said BIR Commissioner Kim Jacinto-Henares should publish the list in at least two newspapers of general circulation.

“Public disclosure of the taxes . . . could be the automatic enforcement device that this government needs to boost its tax revenues and ensure compliance by a larger tax base,” Osmeña said.

The congressman said President Benigno Aquino III said in his State of the Nation Address last year that the average tax paid by 1.7 million self-employed and professional taxpayers is P5,783.

“This means each self-employed and professional taxpayer is reportedly earning a monthly income of P8,500, which any reasonable man would find incredulous considering that the amount is even less than the minimum wage,” Osmeña said.

In his petition for mandamus, Osmeña requested the trial court to oblige Henares to comply with section 14 of Republic Act 9480 otherwise known as the Tax Amnesty Act of 2007.

Osmeña said public disclosure of income tax filings is practiced in countries like Finland, Norway, and the US.

He said public disclosure of corporate tax filings is also practiced in Japan. In 2007, Osmeña said the Philippines opted for the public disclosure of income tax filings.

The congressman said he met with Henares last Jan. 10 and the BIR chief didn’t commit to his request to publish the list of taxpayers in the country. Reporter Ador Vincent Mayol