BIR shutters 3 QC establishments with unpaid VAT

THREE establishments in Quezon City have been closed down by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) due to non-payment of value-added taxes or VAT.

In a statement on Tuesday, the BIR reported that the three shuttered businesses were: ROCD Roofworks Enterprises located in Bagong Silangan, which was registered in the name of Demetrio Castillo Domingo; EMJEI Construction in Commonwealth, registered under the name of Mark Joseph Caloling Belleza; and The Good Stuff Events Specialist and Paradiso Beach House in UP Village, whose registration was in the name of Perfecto Quita Guerrero Jr.

The BIR said all three failed to register as VAT taxpayers — a violation of the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997 or the Tax Code.

These three businesses’ estimated unpaid VAT were as follows: ROCD Roofworks Enterprises, about P460,000 in 2013; for EMJEI Construction, a total of P2.62 million for the years 2012 and 2013; and in the case of The Good Stuff Events Specialist and Paradiso Beach House, P1.36 million covering 2012 and 2013.

“The said closures were effected after the subject taxpayers failed to comply with the requirements specified in their 48-hour notice and five-day VAT compliance notice through the closure order signed by Deputy Commissioner Nelson M. Aspe,” the BIR explained.
The BIR shutters tax-deficient establishments under its “Oplan Kandado” program.

BIR Commissioner Kim S. Jacinto-Henares had said that Oplan Kandado and the Run Against Tax Evaders (RATE) program were consistently among the top priority programs of the tax-collection agency, because of their “significant impact to the attainment of the revenue goal.” RATE brings alleged tax evaders to court.

This year, the BIR targets to collect P373.8 billion from the 12-percent VAT slapped on goods and services. The BIR’s total tax collection goal for 2015 is P1.674 trillion.

During the first quarter, the BIR collected P307.1 billion in taxes, up 16 percent year-on-year but 9-percent below the target. SFM/AC