The Benguet Provincial Board (PB) on Tuesday passed on second reading a proposal asking the President to condone the penalties imposed on delinquent real property taxes.
The bad economic condition of the country and the surge in prices of basic commodities and gasoline, which affected most of the province's constituents, were cited as among the reasons for the request for tax amnesty.
"It is the clamor of our constituents for government to condone real property taxes and interests in accordance with the provisions of the Local Government Code (LGC). Due to the adverse economic conditions of our country, aggravated by the calamities, low prices of farm produce and increase in power and oil prices, many of our constituents failed to pay their real property taxes last year and the previous years," the PB said in a resolution.
To help the province's constituents, particularly the farmers, two proposed ordinance condoning the interests and surcharges of delinquent real property taxes have been presented to the PB. These were not pursued, however, on claims that only the President could grant tax amnesties.
Section 277 of the LGC provides that "the President of the Philippines may, when public interest so requires, condone or reduce the real property tax and interest for any year in any province or a municipality within the Metro Manila area.
The PB proposed that if a tax amnesty is granted, it would be availed of until June 30, 2007. The failure of a taxpayer to avail of the amnesty would mean that delinquencies due on said property will remain in their original values and its penalties. (JC)
