Professional Documents
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It must first be understood that the Code provides the Government with
two remedies, namely: 1) ASSESSMENT; and 2) COLLECTION.
Further, there are two kinds of assessment and collection: (a) the normal
or ordinary assessment and collection under Section 203; and (b) the
abnormal or extraordinary assessment and collection under Section 222.
For collection, the Code does not provide for a prescriptive period.
However, under the Old Code, the prescriptive period provided for both
normal and abnormal is three (3) years. Under the new Code, the
prescriptive period for abnormal is five (5) years, hence, it can be concluded
that the prescriptive period for normal is also five (5) years. It will create an
absurd situation where there is no prescriptive period under the normal but
there is a prescriptive period for abnormal.
Q: CAN THE BIR JUST COLLECT WITHOUT ASSESSMENT? This was answered by the
Supreme Court in the case of Fortune Tobacco where it was held that since the
return filed was fraudulent, the BIR can avail of the remedy of collection without
assessment. The BIR is allowed to exercise that option.
PROCEDURE FOR ASSESSMENT (Section 228; RR No. 12-99)
Section 228 of the NIRC provides for two steps for assessment: (1) Pre-
Assessment Notice (PAN); and (2) Final Assessment Notice (FAN). On the other
hand, RR No. 12-99 provides for three (3) steps namely: (1) Notice of Informal
Conference; (2) Preliminary Notice of Assessment (PAN); and (3) Formal Letter of
Demand and Notice to Pay the Tax, which is equivalent to FAN.
a) When the finding for deficiency tax is the result of mathematical error in
the computation of the tax appearing on the face of the return;
b) When a discrepancy has been determined between the tax withheld and
the amount actually remitted by the withholding agent;
c) When a taxpayer who opted to claim a refund or tax credit of excess
creditable withholding tax for a taxable period was determined to have
carried over and automatically applied the same amount claimed
against the estimated tax liabilities for the taxable quarter or quarters of
the succeeding taxable year;
d) When the excise tax due on excisable articles has not been paid;
e) When an article locally purchased or imported by an exempt person,
such as, but not limited to vehicles, capital equipment, machineries and
spare parts, has been sold, traded or transferred to non-exempt persons.
PROTEST
After receipt of the FAN, the taxpayer cannot immediately appeal to the
Court of Tax Appeals. The Code mandates that before such appeal can be
made, a protest must first be filed by the taxpayer.
After the filing of the protest, the BIR is given a period of 180 days within
which to decide on the matter. The 180-days period is to be committed on the
day the protest has been filed if it is a motion for reconsideration. If it is a motion
for reinvestigation, the 180-day period shall be reckoned on the day the
documents or receipts were filed with the 60-day period of time. Upon denial of
the protest or the lapse of the 180-day period within the BIR acting upon the
protest, the taxpayer may appeal to the CTA within 30 days from receipt of the
denial or lapse of the period, otherwise, the decision shall become final,
executor and demandable.
In this regard, it can be deduced from the foregoing discussion that there
are several instances where the final assessment becomes final and executory,
these are: