Not one Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) nor any of their service providers has fully paid their mandatory tax obligations, two weeks after the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) issued stricter rules before they can resume operations during less restrictive COVID-19 quarantine.
As such, Internal Revenue Deputy Commissioner and POGO task force head Arnel S.D. Guballa told the Inquirer on Thursday that POGOs and service providers to be found already operating were “illegal.”
Last May 6, the BIR issued the specific tax guidelines and requirements before POGO licensees, as well as service providers, can obtain clearance to restart operations.
To date, POGOs were “still in the process of complying with the requirements, including payments,” Guballa disclosed.
Thus, as far as the BIR’s records were concerned, Guballa said there must not be any one POGO sector player operating right now.
Illegall…