Seventy-four tax evasion complaints involving P3.57 billion were filed before the Department of Justice (DOJ) and its various prosecutors’ offices in the country by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) on Thursday, Feb. 2,
The BIR said the 74 complaints included 53 filed before the DOJ main office in Manila and 21 filed in various prosecutors’ offices. It did not, however, name the respondents in the complaints.
It said the respondents are individuals and corporate taxpayers who allegedly violated the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997 (NIRC), as amended.
The violations include willful failure to pay taxes, willful attempt to evade or defeat the payment of taxes due, and willful failure to pay/remit its income tax liabilities.
Also included in the complaints were those who filed their tax returns without the corresponding payment, it said.
“We would like to remind tax evaders that the BIR is serious in pursuing its enforcement activities on a national scale,” said BIR Commissioner Romeo D. Lumagui Jr. in a statement.
“We are also sharing this to the public because we want to assure you that the BIR is committed to ensure that everyone is paying their fair share of taxes,” he said.
The BIR said that the complaints filed included one criminal complaint from the Large Tax Payers (LT) Collection Enforcement Division amounting to P 96,665,089.06; Revenue Region No. 5 in Caloocan City, nine complaints amounting to P 827,142,550.14; Revenue Region No. 6 in Manila, two amounting to P13,944,000; Revenue Region No. 7A in Quezon City, four amounting to P50,489,462.08; Revenue Region No. 8A in Makati City, 10 amounting to P1,725,996,752.04; Revenue Region No. 8B in South National Capital Region (NCR), seven amounting to P413,711,829.33; Revenue Region No. 9A in CaBaMiRo, six amounting to P115,209,151.65; Revenue Region No. 9B in LaQueMar, five amounting to P114,110,950.24; Revenue Region No. 13 in Cebu City, three amounting to P44,887,444.91; Revenue Region No. 16 in Cagayan de Oro City, three amounting to P16,607,516.64; Revenue Region No. 17 in Butuan City, three amounting to P149,108,290.05.
It said the filing of the complaints was done through its Run After Tax Evader Program (RATE) that was first launched in 2005.
“The BIR established this RATE Program to require revenue officials and employees to investigate criminal violations and assist in the prosecution of criminal cases. Enforcement of tax laws is needed to enhance the voluntary compliance of taxpayers. This is the reason why one of the main thrusts of Commissioner Lumagui is Intensification of Enforcement Activities,” it explained.
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