BIR Ruling

September 8, 1969 The City Treasurer Baguio City S i r : This refers to your letter to the Director, Revenue Region No. 1, Baguio City, requesting information on the income taxes paid by Mr. Victor E. Lednicky for the years 1961 to 1968. The information will be used in connection with the plan of the City of Baguio to give Mr. Victor E. Lednicky allegedly the No. 1 taxpayer in the Philippines a plaque as an adopted son of the City. In reply thereto, I have the honor to inform you that your request cannot be granted in view of the prohibition prescribed by Section 347 of the Tax Code which provides, viz: "SEC. 347. Unlawful divulgence of trade secrets . Except as provided in Section 81 any officer or employee of the Bureau of Internal Revenue who divulges to any person or makes known in any other manner than may be provided by law information regarding the business, income, or inheritance of any taxpayer, the secrets, operation, style of work, or apparatus of any manufacturer or producer, or confidential information regarding the business of any taxpayer, knowledge of which was required by him in the discharge of his official duties, shall be fined in a sum of not more than two thousand pesos or imprisoned for a term of not less than six months nor more than five years, or both." Very truly yours, (SGD.) MISAEL P. VERA Commissioner of Internal Revenue