BIR Ruling No. 201-14

June 17, 2014 BIR RULING NO. 201-14 RA No. 7279; RA 7160; BIR Ruling No. 093-12 Urban Settlements Office Room 569, 5th Floor, Manila City Hall Building Arroceros St., Ermita, Manila Attention: Victoria S. Clavel City Government Department Head III Gentlemen : This is to acknowledge your letter dated June 25, 2013, requesting for a ruling that the sale by Lee Kian Hui to the City of Manila by virtue of Expropriation Order intended for the latter's socialized housing program is exempted from payment of capital gains tax and other fees allowed under R.A. No. 7279, otherwise known as the Urban Development and Housing Act of 1992. Documents submitted that Lee Kian Hui, married to Lee Bun Bun, is the absolute registered owner of a parcel of land identified as Lot 1-D of the subdivision plan (LRC) Psd-5290, being a portion of Lot 1, Block 3026 of Manila Cadastre, LRC (GLRO) Cad. Rec. No. 373 covered by Transfer Certificate of Title (TCT) No. 222757 issued by the Registry of Deeds for the City of Manila, containing an area of Five Hundred Seventy Four square meters and 10 decimeters (574.10 sq.m.),more or less; that on February 15, 2007, a Judgment based on Compromise Agreement was rendered by the Regional Trial Court of Manila, Branch 16 relative to the expropriation of the subject property by virtue of the City Ordinance awarding the said property to qualified and bonafide occupants thereat pursuant to the Land for the Landless program of the City of Manila under Ordinance No. 7833 dated January 11, 1994 and became final and executory; and that in the same decision, the Court issued an order fixing the just compensation in the amount of Two Million Eight Hundred Seventy Thousand Five Hundred pesos (P2,870,500.00). TCDcSE In reply thereto, Section 19 of Republic Act No. 7160 provides the basis for the exercise of the power of eminent domain of local government, which provides that: "SECTION 19. Eminent Domain . A local government unit may, through its chief executive and acting pursuant to an ordinance, exercise the power of eminent domain for public use, or purpose or welfare for the benefit of the poor and the landless, upon payment of just compensation, pursuant to the provisions of the Constitution and pertinent laws: Provided, however, That the power of eminent domain may not be exercised unless a valid and definite offer has been previously made to the owner, and such offer was not accepted: Provided, further, That the local government unit may immediately take possession of the property upon the filing of the expropriation proceedings and upon making a deposit with the proper court of at least fifteen percent (15%) of the fair market value of the property based on the current tax declaration of the property to be expropriated: Provided, finally, That, the amount to be paid for the expropriated property shall be determined by the proper court, based on the fair market value at the time of the taking of the property." As an instrumentality of the government, a local government unit, which acts for the purpose of accomplishing government policies and objectives and extending essential services to the people, performs governmental and not proprietary functions. ( Peoples' Homesite and Housing Corporation vs. Court of Industrial Relations , 150 SCRA 296, 310 [1987]) Thus, in line with the foregoing, it is a declared State policy as laid down in Republic Act No. 7279, otherwise known as the "Urban Development and Housing Act of 1992", to provide decent and affordable housing to the underprivileged and homeless citizens. (BIR Ruling No. 093-12 dated February 16, 2012) Moreover, the pertinent portion of Section 20 of RA No. 7279, reads: "Sec. 20. Incentives for the Private Sector Participating in Socialized Housing . To encourage greater private sector participation in socialized housing and further reduce the cost of housing units for the benefit of the underprivileged and homeless, the following incentives shall be extended to the private sector: CSIDEc xxx xxx xxx "(d) Exemption from the payment of the following: (1) ... (2) Capital gains tax on raw lands used for the project; xxx xxx xxx" Pursuant to the aforementioned provision, the owner of the raw land is exempt from the payment of capital gains tax on the conveyance although involuntarily of the above-described property in favor of the City of Manila for use in its socialized housing project. Upon application for exemption, a lien on the title of the land shall be annotated by the Register of Deeds having jurisdiction over the property, to the effect that the same is to be applied or is being applied to socialized housing project pursuant to R.A. 7279. (BIR Ruling No. 093-12 dated February 16, 2012) However, the sale is subject to the documentary stamp tax imposed under Section 196 of the Tax Code of 1997 based on the actual consideration of the property transferred, considering that one of the contracting parties is the Government. (BIR Ruling No. 093-12 dated February 16, 2012) This ruling is being issued on the basis of the foregoing facts as represented. However, if upon investigation, it will be disclosed that the facts are different, then this ruling shall be considered null and void. aSIATD Very truly yours, (SGD.) KIM S. JACINTO-HENARES Commissioner of Internal Revenue