BIR awards top Capiceño taxpayers
Roxas City -- The Bureau of Internal Revenue regional office cited the top Capiceño taxpayers of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Revenue District Office No. 72 for the period July 2006 to July 2007.
The awarding was part of the BIR regional office's 103rd post anniversary celebration last August 10 to recognize the taxpayers' patriotic obligation of paying taxes to the government.
The BIR commemorated in Metro Manila its 103rd founding anniversary on August 1 as the country's tax collection agency after the American's establishment of a civil government in the country.
Regional director Hadji Mama B. Marzoc conferred the awards to businessman Cornelio Miralles of Mirola Merchandising and real estate lessors Jose Hernandez and retired Justice Josue and Victoria Bellosillo couple as Top Individual Income Taxpayers.
The BIR RDO No. 72 awardees as Top Corporation Taxpayers included Jolly Baybay Corporation, Cal's Poultry Supply, Incorporated, and Amado Lim Enterprises, Incorporated.
The recognition for top government withholding agents was given to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Capiz provincial government, and Capiz Electric Cooperative (CAPELCO).
"Alongside with the awarding of outstanding taxpayers is a Run After Tax Evaders (RATE) program to also prosecute big-time tax evaders," said BIR RDO No. 72 Public Information Officer and Taxpayers Service Section Chief Ma. Gracia DC Balgos.
Recently, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo directed the BIR to rigidly implement the RATE program to boost the government's anti-tax evasion campaign.
"In compliance with this directive and to help put the government back on track of its 2007 revenue goals, the BIR will run after large companies that owe close to P5 billion in back taxes and aims to collect these before the end of the year," said BIR Commissioner BIR Commissioner Lilia Hefti in a Malacanang dispatch.
These back taxes will come from banks' unpaid taxes on special savings accounts and foreign currency deposits (P 2 billion), the insurance firms' unremitted documentary stamps taxes on insurance policies (P500 million) and large companies that have been placed under the BIR's tax audit on suspicion of tax delinquency (P1.6 billion). The BIR also expects to collect P776 million from companies that have lost in their tax evasion cases.
Also, tax delinquents will have a chance to clear their record under the implementing rules and regulations of the Tax Amnesty Law.
Under the amnesty law, tax delinquents qualified for the amnesty program will no longer face tax evasion charges as long as they pay the BIR the equivalent of 5.0 percent of their net worth as of 2005. The 5.0 percent will take the place of their outstanding tax liabilities and interest as of 2005.
In the implementing rules and regulations taxpayers with pending tax evasion cases can apply for amnesty but those whose cases have been decided with finality by the courts will not be allowed to apply.
Applicant for amnesty will be required to submit a statement of assets, liabilities and net worth as of Dec. 31, 2005, which will be the basis for computing the amnesty fee.
(PIA)