BIR now has copies of lawmakers’ SALNs

BIR Commissioner Kim Henares. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Taking leads from the inquiry into the P10-billion pork barrel scam, the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has obtained the statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALNs) of the members of the House of Representatives and senators.

Revenue Commissioner Kim Henares said SALNs of legislators, including those implicated in the scam, were among the materials the BIR was using to detect potentially unpaid tax obligations.

“I cannot say who in particular the BIR is investigating or will investigate, but we are looking at any sources possible to detect tax evasion,” Henares told the Inquirer.

She said that upon request of the BIR, the Senate and the House of Representatives have submitted the SALNs of their respective legislators to the tax agency.

Henares said reports about scams, such as those from the ongoing Senate inquiry and from the media, were some of the things the BIR was using as leads in detecting tax evasion.

Illegal activities taxable

“We get hints from everywhere. If there are reports by the media [about allegations of irregularities], we may use those as leads,” she said.

Under the Tax Code, even incomes derived from illegal activities are taxable. So, people earning from such activities should pay the appropriate taxes.

Henares said that in the BIR’s crackdown against tax evasion, it was not excusing any sector or personality from being audited.

Aided by the SALNs obtained from both houses of Congress and other resources, the BIR would audit legislators in the same way it was going after other individuals and entities in its fight against tax evasion, the BIR chief said.

“We want to cover all sectors. There is no one that we intend to leave behind [in the BIR’s antitax evasion drive],” Henares said.