THE Department of Justice yesterday said it has filed charges against construction and metal business firms over their use of “ghost” tax receipts.
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said 41 tax evasion charges were filed against the two companies before the regional trial courts of Pasig Manila and Malabon.
Remulla said 37 cases were lodged before the Pasig RTC and Metropolitan Trial Court (MeTC) and four cases before the Malabon City RTC and Manila City MeTC against Limhuaco Metal Industrial Incorporated, together with corporate officers for violations of Sections 254, 255, 267 in relation 253 (d) and 256 of the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997.
“Ghost” receipts are receipts with fictitious underlying transactions where buyers of the same declare in their tax returns to illegally lessen their tax due.
To recall, charges were previously filed against sellers of such receipts, namely, Decarich Supertrade Inc., Crazykitchen Foodtrade Corp., Buildforce Trading Inc., Redington Corporation, Everpacific Inc., and Unimaker Enterprise Inc.
“These companies do not have any legitimate business activity and were only established to sell fake receipts to its buyer corporations and or individuals so that the latter can claim them as fake deduction and or expenses to maliciously lessen tax liabilities,” Remulla said in a brief statement issued by his office.
“This time, charges were filed against the said construction and metal business firms for being recipients of the said fictitious receipts,” he added.
Remulla said the audit and other enforcement measures against buyers and sellers of “ghost” receipts were pioneered by the Bureau of Internal Revenue’s Run After Fake Transactions Program.
He said several of these buyers and sellers have pending criminal cases before the DOJ, some have already been elevated to the courts with pending warrants of arrest against its corporate officers.
