Megaworld: No BIR liability

Andrew Tan-led property developer Megaworld Corporation maintained that it has no outstanding or unpaid tax liability to the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) that would result in its closure.

“Records with the BIR will confirm that Megaworld has no outstanding or unpaid past tax liabilities needing any enforcement action,” Megaworld said in a statement issued to the press on Wednesday.

The company clarified that it is regularly audited by the Large Taxpayers Service of the BIR Head Office, and all its tax returns up to the taxable year 2020 have been examined.

It added that all previous deficiency assessments have already been paid for by the company and duly cleared by the BIR Head Office.

“Megaworld has not received any closure order duly approved by the Commissioner of Internal Revenue,” it said.

BIR surprise

In a surprise advisory on Tuesday, the BIR told members of the media that it will hand over a closure order against the company supposedly on Wednesday morning in a restaurant within a Megaworld property in Taguig City.

However, minutes before the Megaworld clarified the BIR advisory with the concerned authorities, the taxman retracted its order “until further notice,” but it did not explain why it initially wanted the company closed.