Title
Collector of Internal Revenue vs. Rueda
Case
G.R. No. L-13250
Decision Date
Oct 29, 1971
A Spanish national's estate in the Philippines claimed tax exemption for intangible properties under reciprocity laws, with the Supreme Court ruling Tangier, Morocco, qualified as a "foreign country" and met the reciprocity requirement.

Case Digest (G.R. No. L-13250)
Expanded Legal Reasoning Model

Facts:

  • Parties and Subject Matter
    • Petitioner: Collector of Internal Revenue.
    • Respondent: Antonio Campos Rueda, administrator of the estate of Maria de la Estrella Soriano Vda. de Cerdeira.
  • Deceased and Properties
    • Deceased was a Spanish national by marriage, resident of Tangier, Morocco (1931–1955).
    • She owned intangible personal properties situated in the Philippines.
  • Procedural History
    • September 29, 1955: Provisional estate and inheritance tax return filed; initial assessment of ₱269,383.96 paid.
    • November 17–23, 1955: Amended return claimed exemption on ₱396,308.90; assessment of ₱469,665.24 paid.
    • January 11, 1956: Collector denied exemption and demanded ₱239,439.49.
    • February 8, 1956: Petitioner sought reconsideration; May 5, 1956: request denied and deficiency reduced to ₱161,874.95.
    • Elevated to Court of Tax Appeals (CTA); CTA held exemption applies, finding reciprocity and no statehood requirement.
    • May 30, 1962: Supreme Court remanded to CTA to determine if Tangier laws cover “intangible personal property.”
    • September 9, 1963: CTA admitted evidence showing Tangier exempted “movables, corporeal or incorporeal.”
    • July 29, 1969: Case deemed submitted; prior January 6, 1958 De Lara decision held statehood not required.

Issues:

  • Interpretation of “foreign country” under Section 122
    • Must a foreign country possess statehood or international personality to qualify for the exemption?
  • Qualification of Tangier
    • Does Tangier, lacking full international personality, qualify as a “foreign country” under Section 122?

Ruling:

  • (Subscriber-Only)

Ratio:

  • (Subscriber-Only)

Doctrine:

  • (Subscriber-Only)

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