Tax expert bullies us but helpless vs firms

Despite its all-out threats against nonpayment of taxes, the Bureau of Internal Revenue fell short of its April tax collection target. It blames big businesses that are getting away with not paying the correct taxes (“BIR misses April collection target,” Business, 5/17/14).

We were right all along: The BIR is helpless against corporate greed! That’s nothing new. We remember the times the BIR was assessing multinational business entities hundreds of millions in tax liabilities, but it eventually blinked and settled for paltry compromise payments up front.

This much is clear by now: The BIR only bullies small taxpayers but slinks away from duking it out with corporate leviathans that can afford to hire high-priced lawyers to give it the runaround. Internal Revenue Commissioner Kim Henares lamely points to Congress as the culprit for legislating so many tax perks and privileges, resulting in revenue losses roughly estimated at P65 billion yearly. So what does that make her look like amid all her bluster?

While trying so hard to compensate for such tremendous losses by scaring the vast majority of taxpayers into coming clean with their tax responsibilities, Henares’ annoying arrogance has in fact turned them off. Instead of simplifying income tax returns and payment procedures, she seemed more concerned with preening and impressing the public with her mastery of tax laws! Imagine the public consternation last April in the face of a 12-page nightmare, replacing the previous four-page ITR (income tax return) forms (which, by the way, had been printed in the millions, copies now all gone to waste)!

Henares and her hatchet men should relearn taxation 101: To encourage people to pay taxes, simplify tax filing and payment procedures! That is “so very elementary.” Truth to tell, less than half of the new 12-page ITR forms were filled up by most tax filers—the rest were just returned blank (as not applicable)! What a wasteful way to spend tax money.

What were Henares and her bright minions thinking?

—GABRIELLE MICHELLE M. AGUILLERA,

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