BIR files tax raps vs Olongapo hospital, contractor

The case stemmed from the 60 boxes of assorted cigarettes with fake tax stamps seized by police from the truck of the company. (Photo: Bureau of Internal Revenue Philippines)

MANILA— The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) filed separate tax evasion complaints before the Department of Justice (DOJ) against a hospital in Olangapo City and contractor from Pampanga for their failure to pay taxes amounting to over PHP27 million.

In a statement, BIR said executives of Our Lady of Lourdes International Medical Center Inc. led by its president Dr. Noel Lacsamana are facing charges or violation of the National International Revenue Code for non-remittance of withholding taxes totaling to PHP15,709,671.73 from professional fees of its doctors and the compensation of its employees.

According to BIR’s complaint, Lourdes Medical did not pay withholding taxes on compensation covering the periods of November and December 2015 and January to December 2016 as well as expanded withholding tax during the same periods and January to April and June of this year.

“Despite various notifications, the respondent hospital still failed to settle its outstanding account and to remit taxes due to the BIR. The deliberate failure on the part of Lourdes Medical to remit and pay the aforesaid taxes to the BIR greatly prejudiced the government,” the BIR stressed.

The BIR filed separate tax evasion charges against Jeric Maninang of violating Sections 263, 265 (c) and 258 of NIRC through his San Fernando, Pampanga – based construction business J.U.M. Construction for non-payment of excise taxes amounting to PHP12.447 million and possession of cigarettes without necessary tax stamps.

The case stemmed from the 60 boxes of assorted cigarettes with fake tax stamps seized by police from the truck of the company.

“No valid internal revenue stamps were found on the packs of cigarettes tested. Based on the four-day validation activity conducted by the BIR, one hundred percent of the total stamps tested on the cigarette packs loaded in the turn were found to be fake and were confiscated,” the BIR said in a statement.

The bureau alleged that Maninang did not even register his business with the BIR and pay the required annual registration fee.

“As a consequence of the criminal acts of respondent Maninang of using fake internal revenue stamps, it evaded payment of the correct excise tax amounting to a total deficiency excise tax per PHP12,447,000, inclusive of increments,” it explained.

“The stamps are fake since they did not contain one of the multi-layered security features of a valid internal revenue stamp. The fact that the packs of cigarettes did not come from the manufacturing plant is proof that the internal revenue stamps affixed in the packs of cigarettes are fake and that no excise tax was paid,” it said.

The cases filed against two delinquent taxpayers are the 110 and 111 filed under Run After Tax Evaders (RATE) program under the leadership of Commisioner Caesar R. Dulay.