The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has formed a National Task Force - Run After Fake Transactions (RAFT) as part of its all-out war campaign against businesses that are using ghost receipts to evade taxes.
In a press release on Wednesday, BIR said that the RAF will be the ones to audit and investigate businesses that buy fake or ghost receipts as well as serve notices to these buyers.
The agency said the newly-formed National Task Force - RAF will be directly reporting to the Office of the Commissioner.
"As I launch the Run After Fake Transactions or RAFT program in the BIR, I have just one thing in mind, the Bureau’s mission: collecting taxes through just enforcement of tax laws for nation-building and upliftment of the lives of the Filipinos. I always want to level the playing field of our taxpayers,” Commissioner Romeo D. Lumagui, Jr. said.
Last March, the BIR filed tax evasion charges against four "ghost" corporations that are selling fake receipts before the Department of Justice (DOJ) in Manila.
The government lost ₱25.5 billion in taxes due to the fraudulent activities of the corporations.
According to BIR, an administrative complaint has been likewise filed against the corporations before the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC).
