Mindanaotoday.com | City Hall advises biz groups: File resolutions on tax measures
By: Stephen Capillas
CAGAYAN de Oro City’s business groups should address their requests for amendments to the recently approved tax relief and incentives ordinances to the 20th City Council for action, a top City Hall official said Friday.
“The business groups should file a resolution (addressing their concerns on provisions of these ordinances) to the 20th City Council, like the 50 percent (condonation) of previous year’s tax dues (of applicant business owners) whose businesses didn’t operate (during the COVID-19 pandemic) yet were still being charged because they didn’t properly retire their business permit,” City Administrator Roy Hilario Raagas said.
Raagas along with City Councilor George Goking and officials of the City Treasurer’s Office and Oro Trade and Investments Promotion Center (Oro TIPC) answered queries from business groups led by the Cagayan de Oro Chamber of Commerce and Industry Foundation Inc. (Oro Chamber) who hosted last Friday’s business forum on the city’s tax relief and incentives ordinances.
Raagas referred to a provision in Ordinance No. 14385-2022 or the Tax Relief Ordinance of 2022 that cited a 50 percent condonation on previous year’s tax dues of business owners who either operated without a mayor’s permit or failed to retire their business permits.
“(These business owners who failed to retire their business permits) can be compared to taxis whose fare meters continue to run despite not moving at all,” Raagas said.
Oro Chamber President Raymundo Talimio Jr. sought clarification on a provision which listed those qualified to avail of the 50 percent condonation such as business owners or administrators whose tax delinquencies exceed five years excluding the current fiscal year.
“What about those whose tax delinquencies don’t exceed five years can they also avail of the (50 percent tax condonation)?” Talimio asked.
Raagas said this concern should be raised to the City Council for review and possible amendment.
“Under normal times if the business owners don’t retire their business, the assessment of penalties and surcharges will continue until such time that a formal application for retirement is made… (we would advise you to raise your concerns to the City Council) and on our part, we will relay your concerns to Mayor Rolando ‘Klarex’ Uy,” Raagas told the business groups.
Aside from the Oro Chamber, other groups who attended the forum include the Cagayan de Oro Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Misamis Oriental Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants. (SC | CIO)
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