BIR files P68.51-M tax raps vs firm in PNP chopper deal

A Robinson R-44 Raven, one of two sold to the police as brand-new, is parked at the PNP hangar in the Manila International Airport Authority compound in Pasay City. INQUIRER PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines— The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) on Thursday filed P68.51 million worth of tax evasion complaint before the Department of Justice against the company implicated in the questionable sale of helicopters to the Philippine National Police.

Also implicated in the complaint is its president and managing head Hilario B. De Vera who also faces a separate tax evasion complaint before the DoJ worth P9.83-million.

Based on the complaint, Manila Aerospace Products Trading Corporation (Maptra) has been slapped with a case for violating several provisions of the National Internal Revenue Code including willful attempt to evade or defeat tax for taxable year 209-2010, failure to file Income Tax Returns (ITRs) for 2009-2010, deliberate failure to file Value Added Tax (VAT) for 2009-2010, willful failure to register with BIR and to apply for a Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), failure to issue duly-registered receipts or sales or commercial invoices and unlawful pursuit of business.

The case against Maptra and De Vera stemmed from a Senate Investigation on the purported sale by Maptra to the Philippine National Police of two used helicopters declared as brand new.

Based on the supply contract, supplemental supply contract, disbursement vouchers and official receipts secured by the BIR from the Commission on Audit (COA)-PNP, investigators showed that Maptra received from the PNP P49.68 million in November 2009 and another P49.68 million in March 2010 or a total of P99. 36 million, net of taxes for the sale of 1 fully equipped and two standard Light Police Operational Helicopters. Despite having earned said income, however, Maptra failed to file its ITRs and failed to declare income payments received from PNP and to pay the corresponding taxes.

Also, the BIR, through Commissioner Kim Jacinto-Henares added that Maptra only registered with the BIR on Oct. 21, 2011 despite the fact that it was incorporated in June 2009 and despite selling three helicopters to the government in 2009.