Tipster wants Osmeña to continue reward system

The man who informed the city government about firms which are evading taxes asked Mayor Tomas Osmeña to continue rewarding tipsters to encourage more people to report tax evaders in the city.

Manuel B. Ramirez, 45, of barangay Inayawan said he wished to be given recognition by the city for his effort in informing city officials about a tax evader.

Ramirez was then a collector for a private firm that was engaged in dealing with motorcycles and lending activities from 1989 to 2002.

When he resigned from his job, he wrote Osmeña about the illegal activities of his former employer, who used two sets of receipts in order to evade taxes.

The city has an existing tax ordinance that provides cash reward to an informer of tax evaders in the amount equivalent to one half of the compromise penalty.

As a result, the former employer of Ramirez was compelled to pay his obligation of P190,652. The P65,500 of the amount was the penalty imposed by the city on the erring firm, so Ramirez received a cash reward of P32,750.

"Gawas sa maong cash reward, mas mayo g'yod unta nga hatagan og awards sa mayor ang mga informers aron madasig kadtong uban nga motabang sa kampanya batok sa mga tax evaders," Ramirez said.

City Hall records showed that many establishments in the city do not pay the correct taxes, while others are not paying taxes at all.

As a result, City Hall's Revenue Task Force is now closing down establishments found not paying taxes. - Rene U. Borromeo