Cash-strapped gov’t to expand lifestyle check to private citizens

[shadow]

The government must be so desperate for cash that it will soon expand its lifestyle check to cover private citizens who are not paying or are cheating on their taxes.
Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez said yesterday the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) would soon undertake “tax mapping” to flush out persons with valuable assets and huge incomes but who are not honest with their tax obligations.
He said the planned tax mapping is part of the ongoing tax amnesty program contained in Republic Act 9480, of which he was one of the authors.
Suarez is among the supporters of Cebu Rep. Pablo Garcia, who lost his bid to replace Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. He has regained his chairmanship of the House oversight committee despite complaints that his panel was overextending its authority by meddling in the affairs of the BIR and Bureau of Customs.
The De Venecia-led majority plans to redefine the jurisdiction of the oversight committee. By tradition and under House rules, all committees of the chamber are doing oversight functions.
For instance, the ways and means committee, the panel authorized to scrutinize tax proposals, has oversight power over revenue agencies. This committee, chaired by Antique Rep. Exequiel Javier, and the Suarez panel thus have overlapping functions.
Based on Suarez’s description of tax mapping, it is the equivalent of the government’s lifestyle check on its own officials and personnel. So far, the check has netted only minor functionaries.
“If you are sending your children to Wharton (School of Finance in the United States) or other schools abroad, the BIR will ask you how you can afford it, what is your business, where do you derive your income, how much taxes are you paying.
“If you have several luxury vehicles, if you have valuable pieces of property, or if you vacation annually abroad with your family, they will ask you the same questions,” Suarez said.
He said the BIR would search the records of other government agencies like the Land Registration Authority, Land Transportation Office and Bureau of Immigration for information on citizens who may be cheating on their taxes.
He suggested that to avoid investigation, these citizens should apply for tax amnesty.
Opposition congressmen, describing the plan as a “witch-hunt,” said it could be used to harass and shake down taxpayers.
Suarez said corrupt government officials and employees who have amassed illegal wealth can avail themselves of tax amnesty and legitimize their assets.
“They are covered by the amnesty, provided that they are not facing court cases in connection with their wealth,” he said.
He said these bureaucrats will not be asked questions about their assets provided they declare them in a statement of assets, liabilities and net worth to be filed with the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), and pay an amnesty fee of five percent.
He added that the same privilege is available to professionals, businessmen and other private citizens with properties that are not commensurate to their legal incomes.
Last Wednesday, Finance Secretary Margarito Teves issued the implementing rules and regulations for the new tax amnesty program.
The program covers tax liabilities for 2005 and prior years. Old and new taxpayers are qualified to apply as long as there are no pending tax cases against them, they are not being prosecuted by the Presidential Commission on Good Government, and they are not facing cases for ill-gotten wealth and money laundering.
The program will be good for six months, after which those with questionable assets but did not apply for amnesty will be investigated. – Jess Diaz

Gago talaga!!! bakit nila ibubuntong nanaman sa mga tao ang katangahan nila? ayusin nila yun corruption, tapos ang problema...bakit hinde umpisahan kung bakit napakaraming kotse at bahay ng mga congressmen eh magkano lang ba ang sweldo nila....

[Syuryuken]

Rep. Danilo Suarez san ka ba nagmana ng katangahan at kabobohan?

[Imau]

hehehe....talino talaga ng mga tongressman natin!

[uls]

that's what happens when u spend more money than u make.

U have to borrow.

Ur lenders now pressure u to come up with ways to pay them back.

way to go GMA.

First, u tax ur citizens to death.

Now, u harass ur citizens.

[explorer]

i think there's nothing wrong in requiring those private individual (who are not paying their taxes properly) to pay the tax that's they are supposed to pay to the government.

[shadow]

akala ko ba the additional 12% VAt, would help us? ano na nnagyari napunta nanaman sa mga magagaling natin politicians? bakit mas grabe yata ang deficit natin ngayon?

[uls]

akala ko ba the additional 12% VAt, would help us? ano na nnagyari napunta nanaman sa mga magagaling natin politicians? bakit mas grabe yata ang deficit natin ngayon?

every year palaki ng palaki ang national budget natin. The govt has to borrow money everytime coz kulang lagi ang tax collection.

Ung 12% VAT is just a solution that worked for a while. When that was imposed, gumanda credit rating ng Pinas..

Natuwa ang mga nagpapautang sa Pinas kasi nakita nila may pambayad si GMA.

Pero that was years ago.

Syempre umuutang parin ang Pinas (lagi naman e). Pansin ng mga lenders kulang parin ang tax collection ni GMA kahit may 12% VAT.

They demand GMA to do something again.

Kaya lalo pinipiga ni GMA ang mga pinoy....

[Innova_Boy]

This is one the reasons why everyone wants to migrate to other country... tsk tsk tsk....


WBR,

[wakin]

these tongressmen will always put the burden to the masses.

[kinyo]

go ahead ... make my day!