Pia Wurtzbach: $300K Miss Universe crown can't be taxed

MANILA, Philippines — Pia Wurtzbach said she will pay taxes on her pageant winnings, but she won't pay tax for the Miss Universe crown.

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In an interview with Philstar.com and select members of the press after her news conference on Sunday, the 26-year-old beauty queen said the crown can't be taxed "because it's not mine."

The current Miss Universe crown is reportedly worth $300,000 (or more than P14 million), and it will be passed on to the succeeding winners of the pageant. The diamond-encrusted crown debuted during the 63rd Miss Universe pageant (where Paulina Vega of Colombia emerged as the winner) and will reportedly be used for 10 years.

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But Pia also promised to settle her taxes just "like everyone else."

"I pay my taxes when I was with ABS-CBN… as an actress; when I was with Binibini, so I’ll continue on doing that as long as I’m earning money here, like everybody else," she said.

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This came after Bureau of Internal Revenue Commissioner Kim Henares said in a TV interview that Pia, the third Filipino Miss Universe, is not exempt from paying taxes.