Manny may face tax evasion rap

GENERAL SANTOS CITY — Filipino ring idol Manny Pacquiao yesterday decried the alleged tax deficiencies amounting to P9 million he reportedly owed the government.

Pacquaio’s complaint came on the heels of the Bureau of Internal Revenue’s recommendation to file tax evasion charges against him for his failure to settle his tax obligations from 1999 to 2004.

Jose Eric Furia, the local chief revenue district officer, said Pacquiao filed and paid income taxes for the years 2003 and 2004 only, amounting to P2 million. 

"His balance due to the BIR, based on the data filed by the boxer’s accountant, is still about P9 million. I notified him again last week to settle it within five days but so far he has not complied (as of today)," Furia said. 

Pacquiao was supposed to meet Furia at the local BIR office Tuesday to discuss his tax liabilities but the former world boxing champion failed to show up.

Furia said Pacquiao’s tax evasion case will be investigated by the Run After Tax Evasion (RATE) team composed of representatives from the BIR and Department of Finance.

Last month, the BIR has asked Pacquiao to reconcile his income tax declarations after failing to declare his tax remittances from his product endorsements since 1999 up to 2004. — John Paul Jubelag