Condonation of Delinquent Tax Accounts and Tax Amnesty on Contested Assessments

November 24, 1972

PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 68

CONDONATION OF DELINQUENT TAX ACCOUNTS AND TAX AMNESTY ON CONTESTED ASSESSMENTS SUBJECT TO CERTAIN CONDITIONS

WHEREAS, it is the declared policy of the Government to afford taxpayers with delinquent accounts and pending contested tax cases a final opportun ity to settle their tax obligations consistent with the concept of reforms under the New Society;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Republic of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution as Commander-in-Chief of all the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and pursuant to Proclamation No. 1081, dated September 21, 1972, and General Order No. 1, dated September 22, 1972, as amended, whereby I have assumed direction of the operation of the entire Government, do hereby decree:

1. That all unpaid delinquent tax accounts, as of the effectivity of this Decree, amounting to One Hundred Pesos (P100.00) or less, are hereby condoned;

2. That in the case of all delinquent tax accounts which remain unpaid involving an amount exceeding One Hundred Pesos (P100.00) including all unlisted and/or current tax accounts resulting from assessments and/or letters of demand already issued as of the date of this Decree and/or such accounts which are protested and/or contested, the final resolution of which are still pending in the Bureau of Internal Revenue and/or in courts shall be reduced:

(a) By 40% if said delinquent tax is paid in full on or before January 31, 1973;

(b) By 20% if said delinquent tax account is paid in full on or before February 28, 1973.

In case the amount of unpaid delinquent account exceeds P300,000.00, the taxpayer concerned may avail of the concessions under items (a) and (b) and at his option, the same day he paid in two equal installments, the first to be paid on or before the dates under items (a) and (b), as the case may be, and the second installment not later than May 15, 1973. If the second installment is not paid within the specified date, the first installment shall be applied to the original delinquent account.

If the delinquent taxpayer does not avail of the concession under (a) and (b), the delinquent tax account shall be collected by court action or summary proceedings.

3. In case of tax accounts resulting from assessments and/or letters of demand already issued as of the date of this Decree, and/or such accounts which are protested and/or contested, the final resolution of which are still pending in the Bureau of Internal Revenue and/or in Courts, the proceedings thereon, at any stage, shall be suspended up to February 28, 1973, in order to afford the taxpayers involved therein the opportunity to avail of the concession granted above;

4. That after full settlement of the accounts mentioned herein, the taxpayer shall be free of any civil, criminal or administrative liability insofar as his tax case is involved;

5. The Secretary of Finance, upon the recommendation of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue, shall promulgate rules and regulations to implement this Decree;

6. This Decree shall take effect immediately. cd

DONE in the City of Manila, this 24th day of November, in the year of Our Lord, Nineteen Hundred and Seventy-Two.