Tax court stops garnishment of Pangasinan electric coop

By Eva Visperas 

URDANETA CIT, – The Court of Tax Appeals has issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) stopping the garnishment of properties of the Pangasinan Electric Cooperative (Panelco) III to pay for its tax liabilities.

Nasrollah Conding, revenue district officer of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Office 6, said they received a copy of the TRO on Dec. 22, 2014.

Conding said Panelco III owes the government P400 million in unpaid taxes from 2009 and 2010. He said the BIR only got more than P100 million when it garnished Panelco’s bank account. 

“That’s why we proceeded with the administrative remedy of collecting taxes through Panelco III’s real properties,” Conding said.   

BIR Commissioner Kim Henares, during her visit to the BIR regional office in Calasiao, Pangasinan last month, stressed the need for the electric cooperative to pay its tax arrears.

Henares said Panelco III collected the amount from its consumers, but did not remit it to the BIR. “So we need to get the amount collected,” she said.