GENERAL SANTOS CITY — Boxing sensation Manny Pacquiao, who had gotten into trouble with tax collectors last year, is now being tapped as a celebrity endorser of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).
BIR Commissioner Jose Mario Bu?ag said the bureau chose Pacquiao to endorse the agency’s drive to improve the collection of the expanded value added tax (EVAT).
Bu?ag made the announcement several months after the agency took Pacquiao to task for failing to pay taxes amounting to P10 million from 1998 to 2004. Last year, Pacquiao paid an initial P2 million to settle his delinquencies with the tax agency.
Bu?ag, who arrived here last week with top BIR officials to rally support for the EVAT from local officials and businessmen, said Pacquiao’s persuasive personality can rally support behind the government’s tax campaign.
Asked if there will be any conflict between Pacquiao’s endorsement of the tax campaign and his outstanding tax obligations, Bu?ag said Pacquiao had already promised to settle his unpaid taxes.
“Pacquiao had already promised to pay his tax obligations. We’re just waiting for his accountants and lawyers to finalize the book of his taxable income,” Bu?ag said.
Bu?ag said the BIR has launched a road show on the implementation of EVAT nationwide in a bid to increase revenue collection this year.
Finance Undersecretary Gil Beltran said the government is expected to generate some P75 billion in revenues from the implementation of EVAT this year and some P5 billion in taxes have already been collected since November.
