BUREAU of Internal Revenue Commissioner Romeo D. Lumagui Jr. led the whole BIR in a series of raids last July 13 to 14, 2023.
All Revenue Regions and the Large Taxpayers Service participated in this two-day national enforcement activity.
“Comply with our regulations on excisable products. Cigarettes, Vape, Alcohol Products, Sweetened Beverages, Petroleum Products, Mineral Products, Automobiles, and other excisable articles are being closely monitored. Pay your excise taxes. We will raid non-compliant businesses. We will close their operations,” Lumagui stated.
A total of 747 stores, warehouses, and different establishments were raided by the full force of the BIR. The total tax liability of these non-compliant businesses is still unclear since the BIR is still in the process of making an inventory of all the goods that were confiscated. What is clear is that Commissioner Lumagui commits to the filing of criminal cases against the traders and owners of the raided stores, and the destruction of the confiscated goods.
The first time the BIR conducted a nationwide raid was also led by Lumagui, last January 2023. Thereafter, he also led the nationwide filing of criminal cases against all the illicit traders discovered during the January raid last May 2023.
