BIR shuts down 600 Divisoria stalls

MANILA, Philippines - The Bureau of Internal Revenue yesterday closed down some 600 stalls in Divisoria, Manila for operating without BIR registration papers and not issuing receipts.

BIR-Manila director Alfred Misajon said these stalls are located in the shopping centers of Tutuban, 168, 999, 1188 and Divisoria Mall.

Misajon said the owners of these stalls were found to have been violating the value-added tax law, operating without registering with the BIR, not issuing invoices or filing tax returns. He said the owners were given a chance to comply with the law, but they refused to do so.

He said the closure was preceded by a tax mapping drive of stalls in the Divisoria area. “Through this, we found out that these stalls had no receipts and were not registered,” he said.