Title
United Coconut Planters Bank vs. Commissioner of Internal Revenue
Case
G.R. No. 204687
Decision Date
Apr 24, 2023
The Court of Tax Appeals denied a banking business's claim for a tax refund due to the irrevocability rule and its election to carry over unutilized creditable withholding taxes.
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Case Digest (G.R. No. 204687)

Facts:

  • United Coconut Planters Bank (UCPB) is the petitioner; Commissioner of Internal Revenue (CIR) is the respondent.
  • In 2004, UCPB disposed of real properties acquired from defaulting clients, which were subject to creditable withholding taxes.
  • UCPB posted net losses for 2004, preventing the utilization of these taxes.
  • On April 15, 2005, UCPB filed its original Annual Income Tax Return (ITR) for 2004 but faced issues with the Bureau of Internal Revenue's (BIR) Electronic Filing and Payment System (EFPS).
  • UCPB refiled the ITR, which was recorded as an amended return.
  • Two additional amended ITRs were filed on May 19, 2005, and October 13, 2006, both indicating losses and excess tax credits.
  • On March 20, 2007, UCPB filed a claim for a tax refund or tax credit certificate for unutilized creditable withholding taxes amounting to ₱43,484,162.00 for 2004.
  • The claim was submitted to the Large Taxpayers Audit & Investigation Division of the BIR.
  • UCPB filed a Petition for Review with the Court of Tax Appeals (CTA) on April 16, 2007, after the CIR did not act on its claim.
  • The CIR opposed the claim, citing improper documentation and premature filing.
  • The CTA Division denied UCPB's petition on September 17, 2010, stating that carrying over excess credits negated the refund claim.
  • UCPB's motion for reconsideration was denied, leading to a petition for review with the CTA En Banc, which affirmed the CTA Division's ruling.
  • UCPB subsequently filed a petition for review on certiorari with the Supreme Court.

Issue:

  • (Unlock)

Ruling:

  • The Supreme Court affirmed the ruling of the CTA En Banc, upholding the denial of UCPB's claim for refund or issuance of a tax credit certificate for the unut...(Unlock)

Ratio:

  • The Court's decision was based on Section 76 of the National Internal Revenue Code (NIRC) of 1997, which states that once a taxpayer opts to carry over excess tax credits, that choice is irrevocable for the taxable period.
  • UCPB's action of carrying over excess credits to its 2005 Quarterly Income Tax Returns negated its earlier intention to claim a ref...continue reading

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