DOJ files tax evasion case vs Rappler

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Justice (DOJ) recently filed before the Court of Tax Appeals (CTA) a tax evasion case against Rappler Holdings Corp. (RHC) and its president Maria Ressa, who is also chief executive officer and executive editor of the news website Rappler.

Assistant State Prosecutor Zenamar Machacon-Caparros recommended that Ressa post a bail of P60,000 for each of the three charges of failure to file tax returns and another P24,000 for tax evasion.

She ruled that Ressa violated Section 255 of the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997 when she, as president of RHC, failed to supply the correct and accurate information in the corporation’s quarterly value-added tax return for the second quarter of 2015.

Based on the complaint filed by the Bureau of Internal Revenue, Caparros pointed out that Ressa failed to report the total quarterly sales receipts of more than P2.45 million from the issue and sale of the Philippine Depository Receipts to NBM Rappler L.P.