FOR accepting false or falsified electronic Certificates Authorizing Registration (eCARs) as basis in the processing and issuance of new certificates of land titles, the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) charged Register of Deeds personnel in Cebu City before the Ombudsman.
BIR 13 Director Eduardo L. Pagulayan Jr. said this is in violation of the National Internal Revenue Code. He warned taxpayers not to deal with fixers as they are usually the source of fake eCARS.
“There are enough safeguards to ensure that spurious eCARS will be detected and not processed by the Register of Deeds so there is no valid excuse why the Register of Deeds of Cebu City would process fake eCARs,” Pagulayan said.
Pagulayan explained that eCAR is proof that the taxes on the transfer of the property have been duly paid. It is issued by the Revenue District Office of the BIR having jurisdiction over the location of the property.
The Register of Deeds requires the presentation of the eCAR as a pre-requisite for the title transfer.
“We will not hesitate to file charges against officers and employees of the Register of Deeds who cancel (certificate of land) titles (and issue new titles) without the required eCAR issued by the BIR,” Pagulayan said.
He aded that just recently, the Registrar of Deeds of Bacolod City was found guilty of Conduct Prejudicial to the Best Interest of the Service and was ordered dismissed from the service for canceling titles without the necessary eCAR.
He said the Ombudsman conducted an investigation based on a complaint filed by the BIR. So it appears that this practice may not be uncommon.
The BIR also noticed that taxpayers were victimized by fixers who are also professionals.
“If you need to hire someone to process eCAR, hire a reputable accountant or lawyer or an accredited agent of the BIR. Fixers may offer lower fees, but they are not trustworthy. So your money, documents, and reputation are not secure when you deal with them,” Pagulayan said. (EOB)