BOXING champion Manny Pacquiao on Monday met Internal Revenue Commissioner Jose Mario Bunag to file his 2005 Income Tax Return (ITR) and Value Added Tax (VAT) Return to beat the April 17 deadline set by the government.
Accompanied by his lawyers and an accountant, Pacquaio joined Bunag in a press briefing but refused to divulge the exact amount that he paid.
Bunag said the BIR was not authorized to reveal the amount of tax paid by any individual or corporation.
Franklin Gacal, one of Pacquiao’s lawyers, said the amount paid by his client was “substantial” but refused to say how much.
Bunag said that Pacquiao filed his ITR for 2005 and paid the “discrepancies” found in his 2004 ITR, including interest.
Pacquaio cited “security reasons” for his refusal to say how much he earned last year, including the corresponding tax therein.
