Zoren Legaspi slapped with tax evasion charges

Another celebrity has caught the attention of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) as the government agency continues its name-and-shame campaign to improve tax collections.

The tax bureau on Thursday filed a tax evasion case against actor Zoren Legaspi for “willfully” misdeclaring his income tax returns in 2010 and 2012.

“He substantially under-declared his income tax by 42 percent in 2010 and 25 percent in 2012,” tax chief Kim Henares said, noting Legaspi has P4.45 million in tax liabilities.

In a TV interview, Henares claimed Legaspi earned P9.64 million in 2010 but declared only P6.79 million. He also allegedly said he earned P1.82 million in 2012 when it should have been P6.49 million.

Legaspi derived income mostly from his showbiz projects and endorsements for several brands with his wife, Carmina Villaroel, and two kids Mavy and Cassy.

The actor is not the first high-profile personality to face tax raps from the BIR, which has ramped up its pursuit of individual tax evaders amid collection target pressures.

The BIR has previously filed charges against boxing champ Manny Pacquiao, actress Sollen Heussaff as well as Cedric Lee, a businessman accused of mauling TV host Vhong Navarro.

The agency also drew flak for a tax campaign deemed distasteful by doctors. It recently filed tax raps against Philippine Medical Association president Leo Olarte.