BIR: ABS-CBN has no tax liabilities

The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) on Tuesday has set the record straight that embattled broadcast giant ABS-CBN has no outstanding tax liabilities with the taxman.

BIR Deputy Commissioner Arnel Guballa told reporters on Tuesday that ABS-CBN has no pending tax issue with the agency.

“Wala... walang pending with us,” Guballa told reporters on the sidelines of the “National Tax Campaign kick-off” in Pasay City.

ABS-CBN has earlier belied allegations circulating online that the company’s tax liabilities are among the reasons that the government has taken legal action to forfeit their legislative franchise.

The company has said it has paid a total of P70.5 billion in taxes in the past 17 years, making them one of the biggest taxpayers in the country.

ABS-CBN added that the BIR issued a Tax Clearance Certificate to them in 2019 and also named them one of the Top 200 Non-Individual Taxpayers in the country.

Guballa said that except for one case pending with the Court of Tax Appeals, ABS-CBN has no pending tax liability as far as the BIR is concerned.

“Sister company nila (ABS-CBN) ‘yun... it’s pending with CTA. All the rest wala,” he said.

ABS-CBN Film Productions Inc. and the BIR have a pending tax settlement case before the CTA.

Last week, Solicitor General Jose Calida filed a quo warranto petition against ABS-CBN for its alleged “highly abusive practices” such as the issuance of Philippine Depositary Receipts to foreigners. —LDF, GMA News