The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), the government’s main tax agency, is leaving no stone unturned to catch taxpayers and businesses that are using fictitious receipts.
BIR Commissioner Romeo D. Lumagui, Jr. said Thursday, March 16, that taxpayers and businesses caught with illegal receipts will be audited by the bureau’s examiners.
Lumagui issued the warning after the BIR filed criminal complaints before the Department of Justice against four “ghost” corporations engaged in the manufacturing of fictitious receipts.
“I have set my marching orders to the BIR Legal Group to file criminal charges against the individuals behind these companies,” Lumagui said in a statement.
At the same time, the BIR chief added that “the taxpayers and businesses who used these fictitious receipts will be audited by our examiners.”
“We are just getting started,” Lumagui warned, noting that “the financial magnitude of this syndicate issuing fictitious receipts is alarming.”
According to the BIR, these fraudulent tax schemes are causing the government to lose an estimated 25.5 billion of taxes.
“I assure the whole force of the BIR that I will be with them in every step of the way. We have a list of both buyers and sellers of these fictitious receipts,” Lumagui stated.
“Our main goal here is to put these fraudulent activities into a halt with the high hopes of increasing voluntary tax compliance,” he added.
The case against four corporations stemmed from the December 2022 raid conducted by Lumagui at a condominium unit in Quezon City. This led to the seizure of thousands of fictitious receipts.
After the raid, subsequent investigation showed that these ghost corporations do not have any legitimate business activity.
“The companies were only established for the sole purpose of selling fictitious sales invoices and/or receipts to their buyers for the latter’s claim of false and anomalous purchases,” the BUR said.
“As a result of these companies’ fraudulent tax schemes, the government is losing an estimated total deficiency income tax amounting to {17.63 Billion and total deficiency value added tax amounting to P7.91 Billion, for taxable years 2019-2021, inclusive of surcharges and interests,” the agency added.
Intensification of BIR enforcement activities is one of the areas of concern of Lumagui.