KRIS Aquino. FILE PHOTO
Just because they’re bankable doesn’t mean they always get top-billing on the taxpayers list.
Fourteen show biz personalities, led by TV host Kris Aquino, made it to the Bureau of Internal Revenue’s (BIR) 2011 list of Top 500 individual taxpayers.
Only seven of them are consistent top earners, having appeared on the BIR list for three consecutive years (2009, 2010, 2011). They are Kris, Willie Revillame, Manny Pacquiao, John Lloyd Cruz, Piolo Pascual, Sharon Cuneta and Kim Chiu.
Quite noticeable is the constant shift in the ranking of celebrities. Some of them appeared on the list for only one or two years. In 2009, 14 personalities were likewise on the list. But in 2010, there were a total of 24.
Kris, youngest sister of President Aquino, paid P49.8 million in taxes for the year 2011. Augmenting her income from numerous TV shows and a single film that year (“Segunda Mano”) was a virtual shopping list of product endorsements—from seasonings to petroleum and beauty products. (At the latest count, she has 20 such endorsements.)
Number 2 top celebrity taxpayer for 2011 was comedian Vic Sotto (19th overall, P14.7 million). The host of GMA 7’s “Eat Bulaga” and TV5’s “The Million Peso Money Drop” also endorsed a number of products—from laundry detergent to cough medicine—and made two movies in 2011. Vic was likewise on BIR’s 2009 list, but not 2010.
In third place was “Eat Bulaga” cohost Joey de Leon (28th overall, P12.5 million). Joey endorsed six products—from telecoms to doughnuts—and appeared in two Star Cinema movies in 2011. Joey was not on the 2009 and 2010 list.
Filipino-British model, actor, and TV host Derek Ramsay (120th overall, P7.1 million) broke into the top 500 in 2011— having made two films, several TV shows, and four product endorsements.
TV and movie hunk Piolo (123rd, P7 million), who endorsed 17 products, made no movies, but regularly appeared on four TV shows in 2011.
Like Piolo, Chinese-Filipino actress Kim (133rd, P6.7 million) was a consistent top earner for those three years. She was especially busy on TV in 2011, appearing in five teleseryes and endorsing 17 products.
Drama heartthrob John Lloyd (205th, P5.4 million), made no movies and appeared only in one teleserye in 2011 (“Imortal”), but had 16 product endorsements.
Rounding up the roster of show biz celebs among 2011’s top 500 were Manny Pacquiao (158th, P6.1 million), Michael V (178th, P5.9 million), Willie Revillame (181st, P5.85 million), Ogie Alcasid (184th, P5.81 million), Sharon Cuneta (191st, P5.7 million), Ryan Agoncillo (194th, P5.6 million), and former president and actor Joseph “Erap” Estrada (490th, P3.5 million).
Except for Erap, Michael V, Ogie and Ryan, all of the top celebrity earners appeared on the BIR list from 2009 to 2011.
Dropped from list
Sarah Geronimo, who occupied 261st place in 2009 and 67th spot in 2010, didn’t make it to the 2011 list. The singer-actress-TV host currently endorses 17 products.
Marian Rivera was 62nd in 2009 and 86th in 2010. Like Sarah, she did not appear on the 2011 list. Marian endorses 13 products.
Other celebrities on the 2010 list but not on the 2011 list were Bea Alonzo, Boy Abunda, KC Concepcion, Dingdong Dantes, Ai-ai de las Alas, Gerald Anderson, Carmina Villaroel, and Chris Tiu.
Tax cases
Controversial film director Carlo J. Caparas was the top celebrity taxpayer in 2010 (P65.6 million), but was nowhere on the 2011 list. And in the eyes of the BIR, Caparas owes the government much more. In 2011, the bureau filed a P102-million tax evasion case against Caparas, stemming from a P1.3-billion contract with the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) to produce two TV shows. The case has yet to be resolved.
Boxer, TV host and Sarangani Rep. Pacquiao has also been involved in a legal tussle over his taxes. The BIR filed a case against Pacquiao to compel him to submit tax records in connection with its ongoing probe on his alleged failure to pay the right taxes in 2010. Although the city prosecutor dismissed the case last year, the BIR has filed an appeal.