Gold traders slapped with tax evasion raps

MANILA, Philippines–The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) on Thursday filed a multi-billion tax evasion complaints against four Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas gold traders.

Diomedita Platino Canonigo is facing five counts of tax evasion attempts, 15
counts of failure to file Quarterly Income Tax Returns and five counts of failure to file Annual Income Tax Returns.

Sylvia Chua Cantoria, meanwhile, was slapped with charges for three counts of attempt to evade or defeat tax, nine counts of failure to file Quarterly Income Tax Returns and three counts of failure to file Annual Income Tax Returns.

Felonila Caluag and Ronald Castro are also both facing five counts of attempt
to evade or defeat tax, 15 counts of failure to file Quarterly Income
Tax Returns and five counts of failure to file Annual Income Tax Returns.

Canonigo and Castro were assessed with deficiency in income taxes from 2005 to 2009 amounting to a total of P1.65 and P1.56 billion respectively.

Calauag, on the other hand, was found with deficiency in income tax amounting to P865.15 million for taxable year 2005 to 2009 while Cantoria was assessed with income tax deficiency of P683.41 million for 2006 to 2008.

The four, who had gold transactions with the central bank, were slapped with a case for tax evasion after the BSP gave the BIR copies of certification of the total sales and net payments received by the four as well as the copies of the letters
of delivery and sale detailing the number of pieces and the weight of gold sold and signed by the respondents.