BIR files tax evasion case vs Uniwide

The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) on Friday filed a tax evasion case against former high-flying retailer Uniwide Sales Warehouse Club Inc. for failure to pay its dues in 2012.

In a statement, the BIR said the criminal complaint was filed against Uniwide Sales and its president Jimmy Gow.

The BIR said the Quezon City-based corporation that engaged in the refreshment parlor business, frozen meat and home appliance retail, as well as textile wholesale, allegedly did not pay a total of P84.3 million in taxes in 2012.

Uniwide Sales’ deficiency tax liabilities that year included P44.9 million in income tax, P38.1 million in value-added tax, and P1.4 million in expanded withholding tax.

Along with seven other businesses in Quezon City, Uniwide Sales’ “obstinate failure and continued refusal to pay their long overdue deficiency taxes, despite repeated demands, constitute willful failure to pay the taxes due to the government,” the BIR said.

Tax evasion is a violation of the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997, as amended, otherwise known as the Tax Code.

In 2013, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ordered the dissolution and liquidation of the Uniwide group’s assets.

According to the SEC, the Uniwide group had been “insolvent” since 2003, as the company had more liabilities than assets.