'It's Showtime' host Ryan Bang slapped with tax evasion case
-A A +AThursday, January 31, 2013
MANILA -- Tax collectors are running after P1.8 million worth of unpaid dues to the government by Korean television show host Ryan Bang or Hyun Sung Bang in real life.
The amount, which includes surcharge and interest, covered the years 2010 and 2011 as the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) stated in its complaint before the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Thursday that Bang did not pay a single centavo at that time.
The BIR said a letter of authority was issued against Bang, mainstay at ABS-CBN noontime program "It's Showtime," to examine his books related to internal revenue taxes.
Based on the tax filings of companies that tapped Bang's services such as ABS-CBN Corp., Summit Publishing Company Inc. and Studio 23 among others, he received at least P3.05 million in income in 2010 and 2011.
However, the BIR said Bang failed to file an income tax and percentage tax returns, making him liable for violating sections 254 and 255 of the National Internal Revenue Code.
Section 254 or attempting to evade or defeat taxes imposes fine of P30,000 to P100,000 and imprisonment of two to four years while penalties for violating section 255 or failing to file tax returns and pay taxes are a fine of at least P10,000 and imprisonment of one to 10 years.
Also charged for violating Section 255 was Adformatix Inc. and its officers Liane Vergara (president) and Nestor Reantaso (treasurer) after being assessed by the BIR of P70.78-million worth of unpaid taxes in 2007.
The Makati-based advertising firm protested the assessment but failed to convince the BIR to reverse it in a decision rendered in 2011.
Adformatix also failed to file an appeal on the assessment at the Court of Tax Appeals within the required period that made the assessment final, executory, unappealable and demandable, according to the revenue agency.
The complaints will undergo preliminary investigation by the DOJ to know if there is probable cause that will merit the filing of a case with the CTA. (Virgil Lopez/Sunnex)
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