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This is not going to endear the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and its chief, Kim Henares, to anyone.
“On Monday, october 26, Senator Sonny Angara pointed out that the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) is suggesting an amendment to the anti-money laundering act (AMLA) and addition of tax evasion as a predicate crime in exchange for the Executive’s nod on proposed income tax reforms,” reports Tricia Aquino on InterAksyon.com.
It may be recalled that BIR Commissioner Kim Jacinto-Henares “cautioned Congress about reducing tax revenue without countervailing measures, such as a slackening of the bank secrecy law, so as not to upset the tax balance.”
The report noted: “Angara said that, when he first filed the tax reform measure in 2014, Commissioner Henares readily indicated her agreement to update the current system on the 20-year old law. Angara said that Henares even suggested that her agency would go as far as submitting its proposal to Congress to pass the tax reform law before President Aquino steps down from office.”
Angara went on to say that the BIR’s suggestion on “relaxing” the Bank Secrecy Law would be “a controversial measure, since no Filipino would allow the government to casually look into his or her bank accounts.”
