The Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed before the Court of Tax Appeals (CTA) tax evasion charges against online news outfit Rappler.
Records from the CTA showed that the case filed was for one count of violation of Section 254 and three counts of violation of Section 255 of the National Internal Revenue Code (NIRC).
The charges were for willful attempt to evade or defeat tax and for deliberate failure to supply correct and accurate information. The first complaint was filed on Nov. 26 while the three other complaints were filed last Nov. 28.
The complaint against Rappler Holdings Corporation (RHC) was filed by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) last March.
Based on the complaint, RHC and its president Maria Ressa failed to indicate in the company’s 2015 tax returns the total gain of almost P162.5 million, which was due to the issuance of Philippine Depositary Receipts (PDR) to Washington DC-based NBM Rappler LP, a unit of North Base Media and Omidyar Network Find LLC (Omidyar).
The CTA has yet to raffle the case to a division. Once it is raffled, the CTA will determine if it will issue an arrest order or not.
But based on the complaint, the DOJ has recommended a P60,000 bail for violation of Section 255 and P24,000 for violation of Section 254.
Rappler earlier branded the complaint as a form of harassment from the Duterte administration.