PAGADIAN CITY, Zamboanga del Sur (PIA) – The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Region No. 15, this city joins in the quest to stop the illegal trading of illicit cigarettes in the Zamboanga Peninsula.
“We have coordinated with our uniformed personnel from the PNP (Philippine National Police), who also have been exerting efforts in minimizing this illegal trade,” Atty. Reena Marie P. Francisco, chief of BIR Region No. 15 Legal Division, emphasized, during the Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas.
Illicit cigarettes are those for which excise taxes have not been paid, whether they remain in the place of manufacture or have been illegally imported.
Atty. Francisco added that the easiest way to determine if excise tax has been paid on a cigarette is to check for an affixed internal revenue stamp. If there is no stamp, it indicates that the tax has not been paid.
Another way to verify is by consulting and you can access BIR’s Revenue Memorandum Orders and recent updates BIR Memorandum Circulars page, such as RMC No. 3-2023 on online registration of books of accounts, via their official website RMC No. 3-2023Bureau of Internal Revenue Bir CDN or document library. Which lists cigarette brands properly registered with the BIR. If the brand is not on the list, it’s safe to assume that the tax has not been paid.
Through their enforcement activities, the BIR believes they have sent a clear message to those involved in the illegal cigarette trade in the region that their actions are being monitored and will not be tolerated.
The BIR has also supported their efforts by providing calculations for unpaid taxes, and in some cases, they have already filed complaints with the relevant prosecutor’s office.
“We hope that even if we cannot totally eradicate this, these efforts would at least mitigate or minimize the illegal activity,” Atty. Francisco said. (EDT/CCP/EAM/PIA9-Zamboanga del Sur)
