Limited-activity POGO pay full tax

None of the service providers for Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGO) evade their tax obligations as alleged by opposition Senator Risa Hontiveros who urged the group to pay up.

Lawyer Margarita Gutierrez, spokesman of the Accredited Service Providers of PAGCOR (ASPAP), said their members “dutifully pay” regulatory fees as well as the corporate and withholding tax of their workers.

We collect their taxes Senator Risa Hontiveros. They are not allowed to open unless they pay the tax.

“We reiterate our unequivocal commitment to pay the appropriate tax dues imposed by the government prior to the limited reopening of the online gaming operations,” Gutierrez said.

According to her, POGO services help underpin the country’s economic resurgence as it recovers from the devastating effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

“ASPAP members opted not to seek incentives or any tax break from government from the start,” Gutierrez pointed out, quickly adding the group contributes more than P94 billion and as high as P104 billion to the economy this year alone.

POGO services help underpin the country’s economic resurgence as it recovers from the devastating effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

The government has since hounded POGO that ostensibly failed to remit the withheld tax of their employees and their failure to honor corporate and franchise tax as well.

Last year, the government collected P6.42 billion in additional personal and corporate income tax from allegedly tax-deficient POGO.

Gutierrez similarly asserted the service providers observe all the health and safety protocols set by government once their limited operations resume so as not to unnecessarily risk the health of the community.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque earlier said the government has collected the unpaid tax of POGO service providers and refuted Hontiveros’ claims the revenue office had been remiss.

We collect their taxes Senator Risa Hontiveros. They are not allowed to open unless they pay the tax,” Roque said in a Palace briefing on Thursday.

POGO licensees tap the service providers to communicate with their clients who are mostly online gamblers in China.