Latest news with #BureauofInternalRevenue
GMA Network
2 days ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
BIR to probe ghost flood control projects — Lumagui
The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) will now join the investigation into the alleged anomalous flood control projects, Commissioner Romeo Lumagui Jr. said Wednesday. The bureau will look into the status of the projects and the contractors' tax compliance. 'Sisiguraduhin din natin kung tapos na ba, ano na ba ang nangyari patungkol sa tax payments ng projects na ito,' Lumagui said in an ambush interview at the Department of Justice. (We will verify if they were completed and the status of these projects' tax payments.) Ghost projects are those for which contractors were paid, but the projects were never started, according to the BIR. 'Para sa amin, 'pag sinabing 'ghost project,' wala naman talagang ginawa. Ibig sabihin walang ginastos patungkol sa proyektong 'yan at binayaran siguro sila, pero walang ginastos sa project na 'yan,' he said. (For us, when you say 'ghost project,' it really means nothing was done. It means no money was spent on that project, and maybe they were paid, but nothing was actually spent on the project.) Lumagui said the BIR's investigation will also include coordination with other agencies, including the Department of Public Works and Highways. 'Kung ano man ang magiging resulta ng mga investigations na ginagawa, hihingi rin kami ng mga reports at mga dokumentong na i-submit nila,' he said. (Whatever the results of the investigations being conducted, we will also request the reports and documents that they will submit.) This comes a day after the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee began its probe on the flood control mess on Tuesday. During the hearing, DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan said the agency is validating reports of ghost flood control projects in Bulacan worth P5.9 billion. In his fourth State of the Nation Address, President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. vowed that those involved in anomalous flood control projects would be held accountable. Last week, Marcos disclosed that 20% of the total P545 billion budget for flood control projects was awarded to only 15 contractors. –VBL, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
2 days ago
- Business
- GMA Network
BIR files tax evasion complaints vs. illicit vape retailers, sellers
The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) on Wednesday filed tax evasion complaints with the Department of Justice (DOJ) and its regional offices against 75 illicit vape retailers and sellers. In an ambush interview, BIR Commissioner Romeo "Jun" Lumagui Jr. said this involves a tax liability amounting to P711.3 million. The BIR said the complaints were for violations of the Tax Code, including Tax Evasion, Unlawful Possession or Removal of Articles Subject to Excise Tax Without Payment of the Tax, and Failure to File Excise Tax Returns. "Smuggled, ano. Nakita natin dahil hindi rehistrado sa BIR, hindi rehistrado rin 'yan sa—, hindi approved ng DTI (Department of Trade and Industry) at hindi bayad ang excise tax. So walang mga stamps ang mga produktong binibenta nila," Lumagui said. (Smuggled goods. We saw that because they are not registered with the BIR, they are also not approved by the DTI and the excise tax is not paid. So the products they are selling have no stamps.) Lumagui warned that these products may not have passed quality standards. He also stressed that the tax the government should have collected could have gone to the country's healthcare system and infrastructure projects. "Nakita natin na nationwide 'yung pagbenta nito at marami pa rin produkto na hindi rehistrado at hindi nagbabayad ng excise tax sa mga vape products. Kaya patuloy ang aming nagiging operasyon laban dito," he said. (We found that the selling of this is nationwide and that there are still many products that are not registered and not paying excise tax on vape products. That is why our operations against this continues.) According to the commissioner, registered products have BIR stamps. "Kapag wala kayong nakita na stamp, 'yung tamaraw na stamp na nakakabit diyan, ay siguradong illegal ito at 'wag nating tatangkilikin ito," he said. (If you don't see the tamaraw stamp on the product, then it is surely illegal and consumers should not patronize it.) The BIR said the filing stemmed from a series of raids and inspections that uncovered the selling of untaxed vape. — VDV, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
2 days ago
- Business
- GMA Network
DTI tells e-commerce platforms to take down illegal vape listings
The department said that some vape products being sold online don't have the necessary permits, health warning signs, and stamps from the Bureau of Internal Revenue. The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) on Tuesday warned e-commerce platforms of possible penalties if they don't remove listings of illegal vape products from their sites. The department said that some vape products being sold online don't have the necessary permits, health warning signs, and stamps from the Bureau of Internal Revenue. 'Kasi po itong mga produkto na po ito, malinaw po itong lumalabag po sa mga batas kagaya po ng Consumer Act, iyong RA 11900 po o iyong Vape law po, tapos po siyempre po iyong mga DOH regulations and of course po, doon po sa mga regulations din po ng BIR," said DTI E-Commerce Bureau officer-in-charge Eryl Royce Nagtalon in Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon. "So, iyon po ang pinaka mga dahilan po kung bakit po agaran pong dapat po natin mapatigil po ang online selling po ng mga illegal or unregistered po na vape products po,' he added (These products violate laws such as the Consumer Act, RA 11900 or the Vape Law, and of course, DOH regulations and also BIR regulations. So, those are the main reasons why we need to immediately stop the online selling of illegal or unregistered vape products.) The DTI's Office for the Special Mandate on Vaporized Nicotine and Non-Nicotine Products, their Devices, and Novel Tobacco Products have already monitored 92,000 listings of vape products online in the past two years. Hence, the Trade Department issued a seven-day compliance period to the e-commerce platforms to take down listing of illegal vape products. 'So, ongoing po ang ating monitoring niyan, mayroon po tayong spot checking, mayroon po tayong mga teams na ready po diyan. And of course po, if ever man po na sa kasamaang-palad po is hindi po sila maka-comply po, naka-ready naman po ang ating mga legal remedies under the Consumer Act po, the Internet Transactions Act and other trade, industry laws po,' said Nagtalon. (So, our monitoring of that is ongoing; we have spot checking, we have teams ready for that. And of course, if unfortunately they are unable to comply, our legal remedies under the Consumer Act, the Internet Transactions Act, and other trade and industry laws are ready.) 'Bale po doon po under po sa Internet Transaction Act po, puwede po silang mapatawan po ng administrative fine po ano. Other remedies din po under the ating pong Internet Transaction Act ay puwede po silang malagay po sa blacklist and of course maisyuhan po ng takedown order po,' he added. (Under the Internet Transactions Act, they can be subjected to an administrative fine. Other remedies under our Internet Transactions Act include being blacklisted and, of course, being issued a takedown order.) According to the World Health Organization, a 2019 study revealed that 809,677 or 12.5% of Filipino youths were tobacco users, while 913,316 or 14.1% used electronic cigarettes. In a survey conducted by the Global Burden of Disease in 2021, tobacco smoking was named as the top cause of deaths in the country, with 88,169 deaths recorded in 2021. –NB, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
7 days ago
- Business
- GMA Network
BIR collects P1.554T in H1 2022, exceeds target by P4.6B
The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has surpassed its tax collection target in the first half of 2025. In a statement on Friday, the BIR reported that its January to June 2025 collection stood at P1.554 trillion, overshooting its target for the period by P4.594 billion. Year-on-year, the taxman's collection grew by 14.11% or P192.143 billion. The BIR's first semester collection was also at over 48% of its full-year collection target of P3.232 trillion. In June alone, the tax collection agency's revenues surpassed its goal by 2.85% to P200.524 billion, which was also 16.24% higher year-on-year. 'With the reforms introduced by the new tax laws, such as VAT on Digital Services, CREATE MORE Act and Capital Markets Promotions Act (CMEPA), we hope to increase the revenue base so we could attain and even surpass our collection target for the year, said BIR Commissioner Romeo Lumagui Jr. — Ted Cordero/RSJ, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
07-08-2025
- Business
- GMA Network
BIR files tax evasion complaints vs. 23 firms, officers over ghost receipts
The Bureau of Internal Revenue on Thursday filed 23 complaints for tax evasion against numerous corporations and corporate officers involved in the use of ghost receipts to reduce tax liability, resulting in tax deficiencies amounting to P1.4 billion. According to the bureau, they filed complaints against 23 corporations, 56 corporate officers, and 17 certified public accountants for multiple violations of tax evasion, failure to supply correct and accurate information, perjury and false reporting. 'Wala namang operations 'yung mga korporasyon na ito kung hindi magbenta lamang ng resibo. Walang serbisyong ino-offer, walang produktong binebenta kung hindi 'yung resibo mismo talaga,' BIR Commissioner Romeo 'Jun' Lumagui Jr. said. (These corporations have no operations other than selling receipts. They offer no services, they sell no products other than the receipts themselves.) The corporations are involved in construction, manufacturing, food, electronics, entertainment, marketing, retail, and constructions. Authorities refused to name the corporations involved while the investigation is ongoing. 'Maybe we can provide the names of these companies after we have made the initial evaluation so that they are now considered as respondents ready for preliminary investigation,' Justice Undersecretary Jesse Andres said. Lumagui said that if found guilty, these individuals must pay their tax liabilities. He said they may also face imprisonment. Meanwhile, the commissioner said they are also investigating content creators and online sellers over their taxes. 'Nagugulat sila kasi minsan sasabihin nila wala silang kinikita pero sa totoo lang nakukuha namin ang information na 'yan. At nakukuha namin lahat 'yan through third-party information. Nalalaman namin 'kung magkano ang kinikita nila,' Lumagui said. (They're surprised because sometimes they claim they're not earning anything, but in truth, we get that information. And we get all of that through third-party information. We find out how much they're actually earning.) 'Tine-check din namin 'yan kung papaano nireport 'yung income sa amin at magkano 'yung tax na binayaran. Kadalasan doon sa mga content creators, wala man lang revenues na nire-report,' he added. (We also check how the income was reported to us and how much tax was paid. Often, among those content creators, there aren't even any revenues being reported.) Lumagui also reiterated that the BIR will not stop going after tax evaders.—AOL, GMA Integrated News
