CIR v Benguet Corporation Re: A petition for declaratory relief to Test the validity of Ordinance No. 3379 passed by the Municipal Board of the City of Manila on March 24, 1950. Ponente: BAUTISTA ANGELO, J.:
DOCTRINE: While as a rule an ad valorem tax is a property tax, the rule should not be taken in its absolute sense if the nature and purpose of the tax as gathered from the context show that it is in effect an excise or a license tax. Thus, it has been held that "If a tax is in its nature nature an excise, excise, it does does not not become a property tax because it is proportioned in amount to the value of the property used in connection with the occupation, privilege or act which is taxed…. If it is really imposed upon the performance of an act, enjoyment of a privilege, or the engaging in an a n occupation, it will be considered an excise tax." t ax." QUICK FACTS: The Association composed of all brokers and public service operators of motor vehicles in the City of Manila challenged the validity of Ordinance No. 3379 on the ground that (1) while it levies a so-called property tax it is in reality a license tax which is beyond the power of the Municipal Board of the City of Manila; (2) said ordinance offends against the rule of uniformity of taxation; and (3) it constitutes double taxation. FACTS: Tax: 10% 10% VAT VAT on selling selling price price of of gold pursuant pursuant to Sec. 99 99 of NIRC. Benguet Corporation is a domestic corporation engaged in the exploration, development and operation of mineral resources, and the sale or marketing thereof to various entities. It is a value added tax (VAT) registered enterprise. The transac transaction tions s in question question occurred occurred during during the period period between between 1988 1988 and and 1991. Under Sec. 99 of NIRC as amended by E.O. 273 s. 1987 then in effect, any person who, in the course of trade or business, sells, barters or exchanges goods, renders services, or engages in similar transactions and any person who imports goods is liable for output VAT at rates of either 10% or 0% (zero-rated) (zero-rat ed) depending on the classification of the transaction under Sec. 100 of the NIRC. In January of 1988, Benguet applied for and was granted by the BIR a zerorated status on its sale of gold to Central Bank. On 28 August 1988, (BIR) VAT Ruling No. 3788-88 was issued which declared that the sale of gold to Central Bank is considered as export sale subject to zero-rate pursuant to Section 100 of the Tax Code, as amended by EO 273. Relying on its zero-rated status and the above issuances, Benguet sold gold to the Central Bank during the period of 1 August 1989 to 31 July 1991 and entered into transactions that resulted in input VAT incurred in relation to the subject sales of gold. It then filed applications for tax refunds/credits corresponding to input VAT. However, such request was not granted due to BIR VAT Ruling No. 008-92 dated 23 January 1992 that was issued subsequent to the consummation c onsummation of the subject sales of gold to the t he Central Bank which provides that sales of gold to
the Central Bank shall not be considered as export sales and thus, shall be subject to 10% VAT. BIR VAT Ruling No. 008-92 withdrew, modified, and superseded all inconsistent BIR issuances. Both petitioner and Benguet agree that the retroactive application of VAT Ruling No. 008-92 is valid only if it would not be prejudicial to the Benguet pursuant Sec. 246 of the NIRC. ? Contention: the so-called property tax is in reality a license tax which is beyond the power of the Municipal Board of the City of Manila, the said ordinance offends against the rule of uniformity of taxation; and it constitutes double taxation. Benguet Corporation’s Contention: Retroactive application of BIR VAT Ruling No. 008-92 would violate Sec. 246 of the NIRC, which mandates the nonretroactivity of rulings or circulars issued by the Commissioner of Internal Revenue that would operate to prejudice the taxpayer.
CFI of manila: Sustained validity of ordinance and dismissed the petition. Hence the appeal. ISSUE: WON the new BIR ruling which changed the VAT categorization of respondent’s transactions with the Central Bank from zero-rated to 10% can be applied retroactively to Benguet’s sale of gold to the Central Bank. DECISION: No. HELD: At the time when the subject transactions were consummated, the prevailing BIR regulations relied upon by Benguet ordained that gold sales to the Central Bank were zero-rated. Benguet should not be faulted for relying on the BIRs interpretation of the said laws and regulations. While it is true, as CIR alleges, that government is not estopped from collecting taxes which remain unpaid on account of the errors or mistakes of its agents and/or officials and there could be no vested right arising from an erroneous interpretation of law, these principles must give way to exceptions based on and in keeping with the interest of justice and fair play. (Similar to the ABS-CBN case). The adverse effect is that Benguet Corp became the unexpected and unwilling debtor to the BIR of the amount equivalent to the total VAT cost of its product, a liability it previously could have recovered from the BIR in a zero-rated scenario or at least passed on to the Central Bank had it known it would have been taxed at a 10% rate. Thus, it is clear that Benguet suffered economic prejudice when its consummated sales of gold to the Central Bank were taken out of the zero-rated category. The change in the VAT rating of Benguet’s transactions with the Central Bank resulted in the twin loss of its exemption from payment of output VAT and its opportunity to recover input VAT, and at the same time subjected it to the 10% VAT sans the option to pass on this cost
to the Central Bank, with the total prejudice in money terms being equivalent to the 10% VAT levied on its sales of gold to the Central Bank. Even assuming that the right to recover Benguets excess payment of income tax has not yet prescribed, this relief would only address Benguet’s overpayment of income tax but not the other burdens discussed above. Verily, this remedy is not a feasible option for Benguet because the very reason why it was issued a deficiency tax assessment is that its input VAT was not enough to offset its retroactive output VAT. Indeed, the burden of having to go through an unnecessary and cumbersome refund process is prejudice enough.
