PALALAKASIN ng Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) ang interagency cooperation at coordination upang epektibong mapuksa ang tax evasion at money laundering.
Ayon kay BIR Commissioner Romeo D. Lumagui Jr., mahalagang mapalakas ang pakikipagtulungan sa Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) sa gitna ng dumaraming sophisticated tax evaders.
Noong Agosto 29, si Lumagui ay nakipagpulong kay AMLC Executive Director Matthew M. David at sa iba pang opisyal upang talakayin ang mga istratehiya sa pagtutulak ng kooperasyon sa pagitan ng dalawang ahensiya.
“Tax evaders are now using sophisticated ways of evading taxes and storing their illegal wealth. This interagency cooperation between the BIR and the AMLC will pave the way for future investigations on tax evasion and money laundering. The law is clear, all sources of income, whether from legal or illegal means, are taxable,” wika ni Commissioner Lumagui.
Isang halimbawa ng sophisticated tax evasion scheme na binanggit ni Lumagui ay ang paggamit ng “ghost receipts”.
Ayon sa BIR chief, ginagamit ng mga buyer ang mga resibong ito upang ilegal na mapababa ang kanilang tax liabilities, dahil ang sellers o issuers ay walang lehitimong business activities.
“The seller or issuers are merely companies that were created so their receipts can be used to pad the expenses of buyers, thereby creating a scheme that directly endangers the integrity of our financial system,” aniya.
“The BIR and the AMLC will work hand-in-hand to run after criminals engaged in violations of our tax and anti-money laundering laws. These two agencies are uniquely situated because their expertise in catching tax evaders and money launderers complement each other,” dagdag pa niya.
