BIR charges Telecom company with tax evasion

Making good on its promise to go after big tax evaders every week, the Bureau of Internal Revenue on Thursday charged a telecommunications company  with not paying a total of P560 million in taxes.

 

The BIR filed the cases with the Department of Justice against the Philippine Telephone and Telegraph Corp.

 

Named respondents for PT&T were its president Jose Luis Melo Santiago, vice president and treasurer Alicia Arogo and comptroller Arturo Falco.

 

Revenue Commissioner Guil­lermo Parayno said PT&T has been evading taxes for several years. The evasion was discovered through the BIR’s electronic filing and payment system.

 

The BIR alleged that PT&T, after being informed of its liability, filed its returns through the Integrated Tax System but failed to pay the corresponding taxes and remit the taxes it withheld.

 

In January PT&T had unremit­ted taxes of more than P560 million. These consist of unpaid withholding taxes, value-added tax, percentage taxes and income taxes.

 

“We intend to continue putting pressure on tax evaders,” Purisima said. “Tax evaders must realize that sooner or later we will get them.”

 

Cases were filed against Cristina Aboitiz-Juan and other officers of her firm Fitness by Design, Inc.; Dr. Joel Cortez Mendez of the Mendez Medical Group; professional basketball star Paul Asi Taulava; and the former Armed Forces comptroller, Maj. Gen. Carlos F. Garcia and his wife, Clarita.

 

The DOF and the BIR also ran newspaper advertisements offering rewards of up to P1 million for information that would lead to the recovery of uncollected taxes and the prosecution of tax evaders