BIR confiscates illicit cigarettes

THE Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) on Monday said it has seized illicit cigarettes worth P8.06 billion in foregone taxes following a raid in Pampanga.

In a statement, the agency said the illegal cigarettes were found after four large-scale manufacturers were raided in Clark, Pampanga.

“A total of P8.06 billion in tax liability has been initially computed by the BIR, due to its discovery of illicit cigarettes and unregistered machines,” the bureau said in a statement.

In terms of tax liability, this has been the largest raid conducted by the agency since 2022.

The manufacturers raided in Clark are being investigated for violation of the National Internal Revenue Code, particularly for the unlawful possession or removal of articles subject to excise tax, among others.

Last month, the bureau also caught illicit cigarettes with P838 million in tax liabilities found in warehouses in Quezon City and Caloocan. In August, the BIR also seized around 5,385 illicit vape products in a festival in Las Piñas.

“The BIR will continue to strengthen its efforts against illicit cigarette trade, wherever it is located,” BIR Commissioner Romeo D. Lumagui, Jr. was quoted as saying.

To catch the revenues from excisable products like tobacco products, the agency said it will target both small- and large-scale manufacturers of illegal cigarettes, Mr. Lumagui noted.

Beginning June 1, the agency mandated that all vape products sold in the country be marked with revenue stamps to signify tax compliance.

The BIR is aims to collect P152.4 billion in excise tax from tobacco products this year. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz