BIR files charges vs 9 over P757-M in unpaid taxes

The head office of the Bureau of Internal Revenue in Quezon City. File photo from AFP

The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) filed on Tuesday tax evasion complaints amounting to P757.7 million before the Department of Justice (DOJ) against seven corporations and two individuals.

In separate complaints, the BIR slapped charges against Enviroking Corporation and its officials Alberto Santos and Arnold Mendoza; Enzio Ferrera Collections International Inc. and its officials Estelita Ferrera-Brunner and Realina Ferrera; Filippi Nouvelle Inc. and its officials Glen S. Palencia and Marilou Palencia; and Ira General and Security Services Inc. and its officials Traquilino Aglugub and Isabelita A. Janigue. They were accused of violating Section 255 in relation to Sections 253 (d) and 256 of the Tax Code.

Also facing same charges were Lifeware Technology and its officials Cynthia A. Conine and Francis J. Cruz; and VTM Quilts Collection and its president Virginia T. Manalo.

According to BIR Assistant Commissioner James Roldan, towing and hauling company Enviroking failed to pay a total of P642.75-million in tax liabilities in 2009.

Ira General, a security services company, failed to pay P44 million in overdue taxes in 2008, while manufacturing firm VTM Quilts failed to pay P25.3-million tax liabilities in 2010, Roldan said.

Computer trading firm Lifeware owed the government P11.2-million in taxes in 2012, the assistant commissioner added.

Meanwhile, manufacturing company Enzio Ferrera Collections and services firm Filippi Nouvelle failed to pay P8.2-million in 2009 and P8.5-million tax liabilities in 2010, respectively.

Roldan said the BIR Quezon City served the firms with letters of notices, letters of authority, requests for presentation of records, subpoena duces tecum, preliminary assessment notices, and formal letters of demand but all failed to either pay or protest and submit relevant documents to substantiate or refute their claims.

The BIR also filed complaints against Joanas Godoy Coronel and Rommel E. Lavarias, sole proprietors of Insuproof Builders and Trading and Bravo Gas Station, respectively, for willful failure to pay taxes, in violation of Section 255 of the Tax Code.

The Bureau also sued Coronel for failing to pay total of P5.3-million tax liabilities in 2010, while Lavarias with P4.6-million unpaid taxes.

Despite notices and demands from the BIR, the individuals failed to remit taxes, Roldan said.

The BIR also slapped Quezon City construction firm Oger Branch Philippines and its president Tarek Hachem with 12 counts of willful attempt to evade or defeat payment of withholding tax on compensation from December 2015 to December 2016, and eight counts of willful attempt to evade or defeat payment of expanded withholding tax from April to December 2016.

These were in violation of sections 254 and 255, in relation to sections 253 and 254 of the Tax Code.

Roldan said the company had a total tax liability of P7.6 million.

The assistant commissioner said Oger Branch Philippines, which was registered in the BIR’s Electronic Filing and Payment System, failed to pay the taxes the same day these were electronically filed.

“Thus, collection notices were issued by the BIR and served to the respondent company through its representatives. However, despite said repeated demands, the taxes due on the subject returns filed remained unpaid,” Roldan said.

The complaints against the companies and individuals raised the number of the BIR’s Run after Tax Evaders (RATE) cases to 86. /cbb