Owner of padlocked establishment considers permanent closure
ROXAS CITY – The owners of two business establishments padlocked by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) for violating the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997 may consider permanently closing their business if the BIR insists on their alleged tax liability.
Mr. Leny Albert Apaitan, owner of Black and White Supermart and Pharmacy, located at Burgos Street, Roxas City told The News Today (TNT) that they have no option but to permanently close their business because he could not afford the P64 million taxes which is being asked by the BIR from them.
“No businessman in Roxas City could afford that substantial amount of taxes,” Apaitan told TNT.
According to him, it might be better for them to just put up three big groceries in Passi City, Iloilo City and in Roxas City than to pay P64 million taxes which is not affordable for small businessman like him.
Last August 24, BIR led by its Regional Director Alert Alocilja, padlocked the WTO Trading owned by Filipino-Chinese businessman Kenny Sy on Roxas Avenue and Black and White Supermart and Pharmacy owned by Apaitan.
Alocilja said the BIR’s “Oplan Kandado” is a national campaign to close business establishments violating the BIR code.
He added that the establishments failed to register with the Valued Added Tax (VAT), failed to issue VAT receipts, and under declared their gross sales.
According to him, WTO Trading has incurred its tax payable to BIR in the amount of P2.9 million.
Alocilja said the said establishments were given due process and ample time to secure and correct the violations but the owners ignored it.
The three business establishments were ordered close by BIR Commissioner Sixto Esquivas.