Solenn denies P3.6-M tax case

MANILA, Philippines -  Filipino-French actress and television host Solenn Heussaff denied yesterday allegations that she evaded paying taxes to the government.

In hearing at the Department of Justice (DOJ) yesterday, the 27-year-old Heussaff submitted her counter-affidavit to the P3.6-million tax evasion charges filed by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) against her last month.

Her lawyer, Jose Layug Jr., told reporters Heussaff did not intend to evade taxes.

“There might have been errors, but it could have been corrected if the BIR gave us the chance to explain why there were errors during a preliminary hearing,” he said.

The respondent claimed the BIR violated her constitutional right to due process when it did not give her ample time to correct her tax payment before filing the case with the DOJ.

Layug said Heussaff was given only five days to submit proper documents before the BIR filed the complaint last April 4.

“Before you file the case, the BIR should have shown there was willful intent on the part of Solenn to cheat on her taxes. In the case of Solenn, she had been paying her taxes so there’s no willful intent on the part of our client,” he stressed.

Heussaff presented four witnesses to Assistant State Prosecutor Cristina Barot-Montera to prove her case. Three accountants and Heussaff’s talent manager testified that they went to the BIR but they were turned down by the BIR and told them to just wait for the case to be filed at the DOJ.

On these grounds, Heussaff asked the DOJ to dismiss the charges for lack of probable cause.

Montera set the next hearing on June 19 for the submission of BIR’s reply to the counter-affidavit before concluding the preliminary investigation.

The BIR said Heussaff  earned P13.38 million in 2011, but only declared an income of P6.73 million. She was among the top celebrity taxpayers for that year.