Senate probe on delayed tax refund claims sought

Senator Antonio Trillanes IV has filed a resolution seeking an inquiry into the alleged delay in the processing by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) of tax refund claims. Senate Resolution 474 seeks to direct the Senate finance committee to conduct an inquiry into the supposed failure of the BIR to "expeditiously" act on pending tax refund claims. "There is an apparent need to review the existing rules and regulations as well as the practices and procedures of the BIR with the end in view of coming up with proposed legislation to address the apparent gaps in the current state of the law and relevant rules, regulations as well as practices and procedures of the BIR in processing tax refund claims," Trillanes said in his resolution filed May 17. The senator said he filed the resolution after he got complaints from the military and civilians that the BIR has been failing to act on pending tax refund cases and applications. "This fact perpetually affects the morale of the Filipino soldiers and civilians in general because they feel that they are being "cheated" and short-changed by the government when it comes to money the government actually owes them," he said. — LBG/KBK, GMA News