Still reeling from the blows thrown by the local Bureau of Internal Revenues (BIR), Manny Pacquiao faces yet another lethal punch from the US Internal Revenue Services (IRS) -- this time slapping him of about $18 million in income taxes, according to celebrity website TMZ.
TMZ revealed in an article that a number of official documents show that the US tax agency claimed Pacquiao didn't pay $18.31 million in federal income taxes from 2006 to 2010, the breakdown of which is as follows:
- 2006 -- $1,160,324.30
- 2007 -- $2,035,992.50
- 2008 -- $2,862,437.11
- 2009 -- $8,022,915.87
- 2010 -- $4,231,999.01
Pacquiao's US tax woes came just weeks after his own bout with the BIR in the Philippines over unpaid taxes.
In a radio interview with DZMM's Korina Sanchez, BIR Commissioner Kim Henares discussed this issue pointing out that her bureau has not received any confirmation from the IRS regarding a tax case against Pacquiao.
"Ang analysis ko doon ay maaring it came out of the other rumor that he's a green card holder. Kasi if you're a green card holder, if you're a non-resident, you only pay for your US income. But if you're a resident in US, pati ang income mo sa Pilipinas, kailangan i-report din. I believe that's where it's coming from. Whether it's true or not, only the IRS can say that," Henares said."Mga contrata at documentation nila hindi ayos. Yun ang nagiging problema. Kung nagiging problema nila sa Pilipinas ay ganun din magiging problema nila sa America (Their contracts and documents are not in order. That's the problem. If they had that problem in the Philippines, then they will also have the same problem in America) ... What I can foresee is if their bookkeeping is as bad as what we see here, magkakaproblema ho talaga siya (he will really have a problem)," she added.
On Tuesday, Pacquiao denied he had a green card or a permanent resident status in the United States.
BIR had earlier filed a tax evasion case against Pacquiao due to delinquencies amounting to P2.2 billion ($50.3 US million), on prize earnings from his boxing matches in 2008 and 2009.
Top Rank promoter Bob Arum, however, debunked the BIR's claim saying Pacquiao paid his taxes properly in the US and has certified true copies of his US tax returns.