Tax evasion complaints involving P25.5 billion were filed by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) before the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Thursday, March 16, against four “ghost corporations” and their owners and officers reportedly engaged in selling “fake receipts.”
BIR Commissioner Romeo D. Lumagui Jr. identified the four corporations as Decarich Super Trade, Phil Force, Crazy Kitchen, and Redington Corporation.
The firms’ officers and owners were charged with violations of Sections 254, 255, and 267 of the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997, also known as the Tax Code.
Lumagui, who led BIR officials in filing the complaints, said that four corporations are “engaged in the selling of fake receipts” that would provide businesses with tax deductions.
He said the illegal activity has resulted in the government’s revenue loss of about P25.5 billion.
“Nagfile po tayo ng tax evasion cases (We filed tax evasion cases) against corporations selling fake receipts or fake transactions. These are ghost corporations,” Lumagui told journalists covering the DOJ.
“Itong ghost corporations ay nasa P25.5 billion na revenue loss natin dito kaya tinututukan natin ito (We have a revenue loss of P25.5 billion from these ghost corporations that’s why we are giving full attention),” he said.
He alleged that only one syndicate is behind these four ghost corporations.
“Pag tiningnan mo mga address ng mga korporasyon na ‘to wala naman sila doon at wala talagang ni kahit anong property, kahit anong transaksyon na masasabi nilang nagbebenta sila ng kahit anong produkto or nagbibigay sila ng serbisyo sa mga iniisyuhan nilang mga resibo (These corporations cannot be found in their registered addresses and they have no properties and any transactions that would show that they sell products or offer services based on the issued receipts),” Lumagui said.
“So halatang halata na these are really ghost corporations at talagang tinayo lang para magbenta ng pekeng resibo (These ghost corporations were obviously created to sell and issue fake receipts).” he added.
He noted that the filing of the complaints arose from a raid he led last December 2022 at a condominium unit in Quezon City where thousands of fictitious receipts were seized.
He said the BIR already has a list of businesses which were found to have bought the fake receipts from these ghost corporations.
“We’re also filing and preparing cases against the buyers of these receipts,” he disclosed.
He explained that “bumibili dito ang mga negosyante na ginagamit nilang resibong ito as corresponding deductions sa kanilang expenses at tsaka sa VAT (businessmen buy the fake receipts for use as corresponding deductions for their expenses and their value added tax).”