Join Raffle, Uncover Tax Cheats

The joint Burea of Internal Revenue and Pagcor-sponsored game Premyo sa Resibo is less than a year old. While consumers get raffle tickets, and the chance to become millionaires, the government has been getting a trove of data. And so far, that data is revealing how many retailers hate paying taxes.  What is it that pundits often say? To end our budget deficits, the government does not have to pass new tax laws, just enforce the existing ones.  

A popular government raffle program has uncovered massive tax cheating by more than half of the 140,000 establishments whose receipts were submitted by consumers to the Bureau of Internal Revenue for a chance to win P1 million.

From June to August 2006, Teves reported that the Premyo-sa-Resibo campaign had resulted in the gathering by the BIR of some 7.8 million receipts covering about 140,000 establishments.

“Of these establishments, only 52.6 percent had valid TINs (Tax Identification Numbers). About 51.2 percent had no records of income tax payments with the BIR, while the rest had made only minimal income tax payments,” Teves said.

He said the BIR Central Office had disseminated the information to the regional districts so they could conduct investigations and audits.

When is $1 Million Not $1 Million?

“Read the fine print” is the perennial advice to us consumers. Check this story about a $1 million lottery winner not being able to pay for his medical bills. Not only do the rules say that the top prize should be disbursed over 20 years, there’s also the taxman taking his portion of the winnings.

Million-dollar lottery winner Wayne Schenk doesn’t feel very lucky, in spite of hitting the jackpot.

That’s because the dying ex-Marine was diagnosed with incurable lung cancer five weeks before snatching the $1 million prize on a $5 scratch-off ticket — but the New York Lottery says no dice on paying him in full.

With doctors giving him little more than a year to live, the former Marine has no need for a new house, or a fancy car. He’s hoping to buy a little time — by checking into a Philadelphia hospital that specializes in treating advanced-stage cancers.

The $1 million New York Lottery prize pays out in $50,000 annual installments over 20 years, and the Eastern Regional Medical Center told him it would need $125,000 up front and $250,000 in reserves to be tapped as his treatment proceeds.

Chartering a New Pagcor Charter

It’s surprising that for an entity which is the third largest source of revenue for the government, and directly employs 12,000 people, there isn’t much press coverage on the status of legislation to extend the Pagcor franchise. It has supposedly passed both houses of Congress, and needs one more push for final approval, according to one report.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo issued Proclamation Order No. 1235, which declared February 19 to 20 as the “two-day special session to pursue final approval of the anti-terror bill and other urgent measures already in advanced stages of legislation.”Among the bills to be taken up are the anti-terrorism bill, the credit information bureau, the compensation for human rights violation victims, and the amendment Presidential Decree (PD) 1869, which created the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) Charter, to effect the extension of its franchise.

The background on the expiration of Pagcor’s charter, also known as PD1869, is here.

Enjoying Your Earnings

If you win the lotto or make a killing at the baccarat tables, how would you spend your winnings? If you’re the type who likes to tickle her tonque with exquisite tastes and exotic flavors, here’s one way to do it.

Foodies are flying in to Bangkok from far-flung corners of the world this weekend to experience a scintillating 11-course gala dinner — with a one-million-baht price tag.

Only the most well-heeled food and wine connoisseurs are expected to take a seat at the exclusive table in the Thai capital, where the feast will be prepared by six Michelin three-star chefs from Europe.

“We limit at 40 seats, and right now it’s fully booked,” said Kanokrat Petchpornprapas, a spokeswoman for Mezzaluna, the restaurant holding the event at the top of one of Bangkok’s tallest and most luxurious hotels, overlooking the Chao Phraya River.

The Numbers Add Up

Edna Salaguban, a government auditor with the Commission on Audit, will remember these numbers for the rest of her life: 3175-1277. That was the winning raffle entry in the Premyo Sa Resibo draw for Jan. 19, 2007. Edna joins dozens of others who have become instant millionaires. Since PSR started in June 2006, the program to encourage consumers to demand official receipts has so far given away P37 million in prizes.

Someone else will remember this sequence: 35758318. That, after the Jan. 26 draw, became worth a million pesos.

Culture

Some commentary on the Philippines’ gambling culture. The picture gives that added impact.

Gambling appears to be part of life for many people in the Philippines, a country where life has for the most part been harsh enough to make not a few turn to luck and chance for hope.

Almost The Biggest Regret

See this story about a winner who almost forfeited a million pesos. Sometimes our fears get the better of us. Without the intervention of others, she would have lived up to her last name.

Fate, however, was smiling on the young woman. A few days before the end of the 60-day period, a distant relative who worked for the BIR dropped by Dolor’s house and told her about her windfall.

Dolor immediately sent word to PhilWeb, the BIR and Pagcor, and prepared for her eight-hour trip to Metro Manila.

“It’s surreal,” she said. “Every day I hear about people winning the lottery, the sweepstakes, raffles at malls, but I’ve never met any of them. Now that I’ve won, I believe.”

P12 Million Payday

Check out some of the latest lucky millionaires  in the country.  

And they’re still not done.

A total of 10 more Pinoys get to add a 1 and six zeroes to their bank account balances before 2006 ends.  Who among us in this TextNation of 7,107 islands will the Randon Number Generator Algorithm smile upon?

15 Second Diversion

Humorous commercial to promote the PSR game

Five New Millionaires

This afternoon, the Philippines will have five new millionaires, courtesy of the Premyo Sa Resibo game that is sponsored by the BIR, Pagcor and Philweb. PSR rewards lucky consumers who demand official receipts whenever they buy something. The program assists the government in its tax collection efforts.

Below is the official press release from the sponsor:

For the October 4 Draw, five lucky winners will be awarded P1 million each and another ten winners will be given consolation prizes of P100, 000 each. Prize claimants must present their actual Official Receipts corresponding to their winning raffle entry numbers in order to be declared as Verified Winners of Premyo sa Resibo. Prizes will be awarded on October 9, 2006.