MANILA, Philippines – Actor Zoren Legaspi may have violated yet another tax law after a preliminary investigation in his P4 million tax evasion case showed that he was a holder of four tax identification numbers (TIN).
Legaspi failed to attend the formal inquiry and instead sent his accountant Flora Capili to attend the preliminary investigation at the Department of Justice Wednesday.
Capili said they noticed discrepancies when they asked for certification from companies that hired Legaspi’s services. She said they found out from the certifications that Legaspi had four different TINs.
“We are verifying from the companies why there are different TIN numbers,” Capili said.
“They should have followed what was written in the documents submitted to them,” Capili said.
“To be frank ma’m that [having several TIN numbers] is illegal,” said lawyer Emmanuel Ferrer Jr. from the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), which filed the complaint against Legaspi.
Having more than one TIN is prohibited under the National Internal Revenue Code (NIRC) because it may be used as a tool to evade payment of correct taxes.
After Capili issued her statements, Assistant State Prosector Stewart Allan Mariano ordered them stricken from the records because these were deemed incriminating to Legaspi despite insistence by the BIR that Capili was testifying on her own personal belief.
“Yes, she may be testifying on her own personal beliefs but she is not assisted by a lawyer. If she makes admission, that would be inappropriate…I believe Mr. Legaspi needs a lawyer…The good accountant can be an expert concerning taxation but she is not a lawyer,” Mariano said.
Mariano gave Legaspi up to June 6, the schedule of the next hearing to submit his counter-affidavit and be represented by counsel.
Based on the BIR’s complaint, Legaspi allegedly violated sections 254 and 255 of the National Internal Revenue Code for wilful attempt to evade or defeat tax and deliberate failure to supply correct and accurate information on his income tax returns for 2010 and 2012.
Investigation by the BIR showed that Legaspi received a total income of P9.64 million in 2010, and P6.49 million in 2012.
A comparison of the documents and information showed that Legaspi declared P6.79 million as gross income in his tax returns filed with the BIR in 2010, and P1.82 million in 2012. Income payments he received as per alpha lists of withholding agents provided by the BIR’s Information Systems and Development Operations Service (ISDOS) showed that Legaspi “willfully and substantially” underdeclared his correct taxable income by P2.85 million or 42% in 2010, and P4.67 million or 256% in 2012.
His tax liability for 2010 and 2012 is P4.45 million inclusive of surcharges and interest.
Originally posted at 02:06 pm | Wednesday, May 28, 2014
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