Title
Coral Bay Nickel Corp. vs. Commissioner of Internal Revenue
Case
G.R. No. 190506
Decision Date
Jun 13, 2016
Coral Bay Nickel Corp. sought a VAT refund for pre-PEZA registration input taxes. SC denied, citing Cross Border Doctrine; ECOZONE sales are VAT-free, refund claims must target suppliers, not government.

Case Digest (G.R. No. 190506)
Expanded Legal Reasoning Model

Facts:

  • Parties and Status
    • Petitioner
      • Coral Bay Nickel Corporation, domestic corporation manufacturing nickel/cobalt mixed sulphide
      • VAT-registered with the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR)
    • PEZA Registration
      • Registered as an Ecozone Export Enterprise under PEZA Certificate dated December 27, 2002
      • Located inside Rio Tuba Export Processing Zone, a special economic zone under Proclamation No. 304, s. 2002
  • Claim for Refund of Input VAT
    • Amended VAT Return
      • Filed August 5, 2003, declaring unutilized input tax for Q3–Q4 2002 amounting to ₱50,124,086.75
    • Application for Tax Credit/Refund
      • Filed June 14, 2004 with RDO 36, Palawan (BIR Form 1914) with supporting documents
    • Elevation to CTA
      • July 8, 2004: Petition for Review before CTA Division (CTA Case No. 7022) alleging inaction by the Commissioner
    • CTA Division Decision
      • March 10, 2008: Denial of refund claim based on NIRC §106(A)(2)(a)(5), Art. 77(2) Omnibus Investment Code, Cross Border Doctrine, citing Commissioner v. Toshiba Information Equipment (Phils.), Inc. and RMC 42-03
      • July 2, 2008: CTA Division denied petitioner’s Motion for Reconsideration
    • CTA En Banc Decision
      • May 29, 2009: Denial of petition (CTA EB Case No. 403)
      • December 10, 2009: Denial of Motion for Reconsideration
  • Proceedings Before the Supreme Court
    • Petition for Review on Certiorari under Rule 45, G.R. No. 190506, June 13, 2016
    • Main Contentions of Petitioner
      • Toshiba inapplicable as petitioner was not yet PEZA-registered when input VAT was incurred (May–December 2002)
      • Compliance with procedural and substantive requirements for refund entitlement

Issues:

  • Jurisdictional Issue
    • Whether the premature filing of the judicial claim in the CTA deprived the Court of jurisdiction
  • Merits Issue
    • Whether petitioner, an entity located within an ECOZONE, was entitled to refund of unutilized input taxes incurred before issuance of its PEZA registration

Ruling:

  • (Subscriber-Only)

Ratio:

  • (Subscriber-Only)

Doctrine:

  • (Subscriber-Only)

Analyze Cases Smarter, Faster
Jur helps you analyze cases smarter to comprehend faster—building context before diving into full texts.