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The
Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) sent a serious warning
to erring businessmen who continue to defy tax laws when
it closed down Tuesday a Jollibee franchisee at Farmer’s
Plaza in Cubao even as it formed a task force to run
after traders operating at Greenhills Shopping Center in
San Juan and other shopping centers.
BIR
Commissioner Lilian Hefti’s closure order of the food
outlet owned by Quest Food Corp. was imposed by BIR
Deputy Commissioner for Operations Group Nelson Aspe and
Quezon City OIC-revenue regional director Marina de Guzman.
They
were assisted by revenue district officer (RDO) Romeo
Naranjo and assistant district officer Amador Ducut,
Legal Division chief Efren Martinez, Special
Investigation Division (SID) assistant chief Lorna SB
Cruz and several revenue personnel from SID and RDO
40-Cubao.
The
padlocking was made after the X&Z Reading of Point of
Sales (POS) machine by the BIR, which found the business
establishment culpable of underdeclaring the taxable
sales by 51 percent for 2006.
The
operation was conducted by Naranjo and the group of
Charito Antonio on October 1.
“We have
given a 48-hour notice on November 6 and a10-day
VAT-compliance notice to the company on November 20, and
the review board acted on the recommendation of Director
de Guzman for closure. But, of course, we are not taking
away from them their right to contest the closure,” Aspe
told reporters covering the event.
“The
closure serves as a warning to all unpatriotic
taxpayers, particularly those VAT-registered, to declare
properly their gross sales for goods and gross receipts
from services, and come up with the correct payment of
their value-added taxes.”
When
asked if the closure order would result in potential
loss of revenues for the government, Aspe said the
government stands to lose more if the BIR will not
enforce strictly the tax laws, including padlocking of
erring business establishments.
De
Guzman reiterated that the closure order made pursuant
to Section 115 of the Tax Code was effected after due
process was observed by sending proper notices.
Hefti
directed the revenue regional directors and RDOs to
strictly implement the bureau’s enhanced tax-compliance
verification drive, particularly in the month of
December, which is traditionally considered as shopping
season for Filipinos. Unregistered commercial and
business establishments abound during this time of year,
according to the BIR.
This
scenario was demonstrated by unscrupulous businessmen
operating at Greenhills Shopping Center in San Juan when
RDO Benito Wong and revenue personnel swooped down on
164 privileged stores or tiangge. Fifty-eight
stores were found remiss of their advanced sales-tax
obligations and 37 for nonissuance of official
receipts/sales invoices. |
