Biggest celebrity endorsers didn’t make it to list of top taxpayers

MARIAN Rivera photo from Bandera

MANILA, Philippines–Some of the country’s biggest celebrity endorsers did not make it to the list of top individual taxpayers, according to the Bureau of Internal Revenue.

In its weekly print advertisement for the government’s tax campaign, the BIR cited the list of 24 biggest celebrity endorsers for 2011 published by Yes! Magazine and revealed whether they made it to the list of Top 500 taxpayers.

The BIR noted an interesting finding that more than half, or 15, of the Top 24 celebrity endorsers for 2011 were not in the list of Top 500 taxpayers for that year.

These were the following: couple Carmina Villaroel and Zoren Legaspi, Marian Rivera, Robin Padilla, Sarah Geronimo, Judy Ann Santos, Anne Curtis, Angel Locsin, Boy Abunda, KC Concepcion, Dingdong Dantes, Gerald Anderson, Bea Alonzo, Jericho Rosales, and Ai-Ai delas Alas.

For 2012, the couple Villaroel and Legaspi, Rivera, Rosales, and Delas Alas still did not make it to the BIR’s list of Top 500 taxpayers.

ROBIN Padilla INQUIRER.net file photo

Ryan Agoncillo, husband of Judy Ann Santos, who was the 16th top celebrity endorser for 2011, was included in the BIR’s list of top taxpayers for the said year landing on the 194th spot. He paid P5.6 million in taxes that year.

However, Agoncillo did not make it to the list of top taxpayers for 2012.

Yes! Magazine has not yet published the list of top celebrity endorsers for 2012.

The list of top celebrity endorsers is based on the number of endorsements per celebrity and not based on amount of income earned from said endorsements.

The BIR clarified that one may not automatically conclude that the data provided in its weekly print advertisement showed tax evasion.

BIR Commissioner Kim Henares said the weekly advertisement was meant to encourage tax compliance.

She said people who may know whether individuals or corporations cited in the advertisements are indeed tax evaders are urged to report details to the BIR.

Meantime, the BIR ad likewise revealed that some of the biggest celebrity endorsers were also some of the biggest taxpayers in the country.

Kris Aquino, who was the top celebrity endorser for 2011, was also the No. 1 taxpayer for that year and was the 6th biggest taxpayer for 2012. She remitted P49.87 million and P44.93 million in taxes in the said years, respectively.

ANN Curtis INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO

John Lloyd Cruz, who was the second biggest celebrity endorser for 2011, landed on the 205th rank of the BIR’s top taxpayers list for that year, having paid P5.4 million in taxes.

Cruz then significantly increased his ranking in the BIR’s list in 2012 to land on the 8th spot, having paid P42.79 million.

Piolo Pascual, who was the 3rd biggest celebrity endorser for 2011, ranked 123rd in the BIR’s list of top taxpayers for that year, having paid P6.98 million in taxes.

Pascual’s ranking with the BIR also substantially increased to 34th spot in 2012 when he paid P23.36 million in taxes.

Kim Chiu, who was the 7th biggest celebrity endorser for 2011, also was the BIR’s 133rd and 309th biggest taxpayer for 2011 and 2012, respectively. She remitted P6.7 million and P7.44 million in taxes in the said years.

Vic Sotto, who was the 11th biggest celebrity endorser for 2011, landed on the 19th and 89th spots of the BIR’s top taxpayers for 2011 and 2012, respectively. He paid P14.73 million and P14.62 million in taxes in the said years.

Michael V., who was the 19th top celebrity endorser for 2011, landed on the 178th and 118th spots in the BIR’s list of top taxpayers for 2011 and 2012. He paid P5.9 million and P12.6 million in taxes in those years, respectively.

Derek Ramsay, who was the 20th top celebrity endorser for 2011, landed on the 120th and 68th spots in the BIR’s list of top taxpayers for 2011 and 2012. He paid P7.08 million and P16.7 million in taxes in the said years, respectively.