QC gov’t to probe fake receipt scam

Quezon City Mayor Feliciano Belmonte Jr. yesterday ordered an immediate investigation into the operations of a syndicate which has defrauded the government of millions of pesos through the issuance of fake receipts for payments of transfer tax in real estate transactions.

Belmonte said the fake receipts racket surfaced following the verification by a special team of the City Treasurer’s Office of transfer tax payments at the Land Registration Administration. The team found several fake receipts which have not been machine-validated and payments for which have not been received by the City Treasurer’s Office. Some of the receipts bore the spurious signature of the city treasurer.

In a report submitted to the mayor, City Treasurer Victor Endriga cited the specific case of a fake "official receipt" issued to a certain Fe M. Ng in the amount of P224,159.08 as payment of the transfer tax due her purchase of a real estate property for P34,477,181.02.

Endriga’s report included eight other fake tax receipt cases involving various amounts for which he has issued demand letters for immediate payment.

Belmonte directed Superintendent Elmo San Diego, chief of the PNP City Hall Detachment, to file charges against those who may be involved in the fake receipt racket.

He said he has received reports that some of those involved in the racket are real estate agents who offer to secure the change in tax declaration and the issuance of the title of the property for the buyer.

Belmonte said the syndicate is also cheating the Bureau of Internal Revenue in even bigger amounts in capital gains taxes by simply ante-dating the transaction since the tax is based on the zonal value of the property at the time of the sale.

He said the city government will file charges even if those involved, to evade prosecution, pay the taxes covered by the fake receipts.