Gerard Depardieu, France's biggest tax evader

We personally cannot identify with the feelings of Gérard Depardieu who announced he had quit Paris for a small town 800 meters (yards) from the French border over what he suggested in so many words was excessive taxation.

In an open letter, Depardieu wrote:

I leave after paying, in 2012, 85% tax on my income. But I keep in mind that France was beautiful and I hope will remain. 

I give you my passport and Social Security, which I've never used. We no longer the same country, I'm a true European, a citizen of the world, as my father has always taught.

Depardieu bares his view on taxation:

(Original French)

Je n'ai malheureusement plus rien à faire ici, mais je continuerai à aimer les Français et ce public avec lequel j'ai partagé tant d'émotions!Je pars parce que vous considérez que le succès, la création, le talent, en fait, la différence, doivent être sanctionnés. 

(Google Translation)

I unfortunately have nothing more to do here, but I continue to love the French public and with whom I shared so many emotions! I'm leaving because you consider that success, creativity, talent...   must be punished.

French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said Depardieu's act of leaving the country was "shabby", and suggested he was "shirking his patriotic responsibilities".

In an article on The Telegraph, Ayrault was quoted saying that those who left France were greedy.

"Those who are seeking exile abroad are not those who are scared of becoming poor," the prime minister declared after unveiling sweeping anti-poverty measures to help those hit by the economic crisis. 

These individuals are leaving "because they want to get even richer," he said. "We cannot fight poverty if those with the most, and sometimes with a lot, do not show solidarity and a bit of generosity," he added 

... ... 

Announcing plans to spend up to 2.5 billion euros by 2017 to help the poor, Mr Ayrault said that poverty affected 12.9 percent of the population in 2002 and rose to 14.1 percent in 2010.

As such, we assume that Depardieu's line of reasoning on taxation would cleave to certain well trodden lines usually quoted against taxing the rich -- a line of reasoning seemingly not borne out by empirical data.

It's axiomatic among Republicans that taxes on the rich are the single most important factor determining economic growth. If that were true, then the period from 1988 to 1990, when the top rate was just 28 percent, should have been the most prosperous in recent American history. During that time we had the lowest top rate since 1931. But although 1988 started out okay with a real GDP growth rate of 4.1 percent, it fell to 3.6 percent in 1989 and just 1.9 percent in 1990. 

Conversely, the period from 1993 to 2000, when the top rate rose from 31 percent to 39.6 percent, should have been a period of dismal growth. But in fact, that period was the most prosperous in recent American history. Real GDP growth averaged 3.9 percent per year – more than 50 percent above the average postwar growth rate. 

Then there should have been a burst of even faster growth when the top rate was reduced in the 2000s to 35 percent – a rate that is still in effect. But during that period, real GDP growth has averaged just 1.8 percent – 30 percent below the average postwar rate. 

So where is the data supporting the argument that taxes on the rich are the sine qua non of growth? I don’t see it. On the contrary, the data from the last several decades would in fact support the opposite conclusion – that higher tax rates on the wealthy stimulate growth.

Comparing Cosmetique Asia Silka Papaya's Gross Profits with Johnson and Johnson, Unilever, and Colgate Palmolive

(In the third part of this series on Cosmetique Asia Silka Papaya's Tax Evasion, we revealed how the company padded its Cost of Sales in order to shrink its Net Income and thereby evade paying the right taxes. Today, we will be showing how peculiarly tiny Cosmetique Asia Silka Papaya's Gross Profits are.  We will be comparing Cosmetique Asia Silka Papaya's Gross Profits with those of Johnson and Johnson, Unilever, and Colgate Palmolive.)

In 2011, Cosmetique Asia Silka Papaya's Cost of Sales nearly doubled from P469,298,415 in 2010 to P833,597,551! It's Net Sales was at P994,928,845 and its Gross Profit was at P161,331,294, making its Gross Profit Rate OF JUST 16%!

In year 2008, 2009, and 2010, Cosmetic Asia Silka Papaya declared gross profit rates of around 25%.

Looking at the company's figures alone, one might be fooled into thinking that nothing screwy is happening with its financial statement.

But comparing it with the Gross Profits of other companies, one will see the glaring disparity that marks Cosmetique Asia Silka Papaya's financial statement as the odd man out. -- a sure tip off that the figures are being manipulated and set arbitrarily with the objective of shrinking its taxable income.

One example is Johnson and Johnson whose Gross Income Rate was at 44% in 2009 and 50% in 2009.

Unilever's Gross Income Rate was at 55% in 2010 and 47% in 2011.

Colgate Palmolive's Gross Income Rate was at 55% in 2008, 56% in 2009, 59% in 2010, and 56% in 2011.

These companies establish somewhat of a norm which is at 40% or 50% Gross Profit, compared to Cosmetic Asia Silka Papaya which has a Gross Profit rate of 25% to 16% at its lowest.

Looking at its unusually rapid and consistent Net Sales Growth at 90 percent per year, its unusually high Cost of Sales, and its peculiarly low Gross Profits, Cosmetique Asia Silka Papaya has all the signs of doctoring its financial figures to evade taxes by fooling the BIR into thinking its income is really small.

In the next post, we will show just how Cosmetic Asia Silka Papaya ends of OWING the Bureau of Internal Revenue as much as P1.5 Billion in unpaid taxes.)

Cosmetique Asia's Silka Papaya Pads its Cost of Sales

In the first two parts of our expose on Cosmetic Asia and Silka Papaya which you'll find here and here, we revealed the company's astounding Net Sales growth.  In three years from 2009 to 2011, Cosmetic Asia and Silka Papaya Net Sales expanded by 272%, from P365,034,832 in 2008 to to P994,928,845 in 2011.

Averaging out its Net Sales over 3 years, Cosmetic Asia unbelievably posted an average of 90 percent annual increase in Net Sales.  For Tax Examiners, this alone could be a tip off that a company may have been under reporting its Net Sales to hide its real income and in the process, dodge paying the right taxes.

Of course, it could really happen that a company can experience enormous Net Sales. 

What would tend to confirm if the Net Sales growth is real and not simulated is if the source of this sales growth can be traced to the contraction of the Net Sales of similar and alternative products.  Alternatively, one could look for signs that the market has grown, such as if more people are buying whitening soaps or if the market has expanded geographically in areas where skin whitening products were not previously being sold.

However, if market data doesn't show that Cosmetique Asia Silka Papaya's Net Sales Growth isn't coming from the contraction of a competitor's market share or from market expansion, it could be a strong indication that it isn't correctly reporting its Net Sales.  To put it bluntly, it is an indication that Cosmetique Asia Silka Papaya is making up its Net Sales figures!

This is just one of several methods for evading taxes!

Another indication is its extraordinarily high Cost of Sales which is at 75% to 86% of its Net Sales!

When you talk about taxes, in essence, what is really being taxed is an individual's Net Income or the individual's income after expenses have been deducted.

In Cosmetic Asia Silka Papaya's case, apart from under stating its real net sales, it seems it is also overstating its expenses or Cost of Sales to make it appear that its Net Income is smaller than what it really is.  By padding its Cost of Sales, Cosmetique Asia decreases its Net Income making the taxable amount smaller and the resulting tax computation even smaller.

In 2008, Cosmetique Asia Silka Papaya declared its Cost of Sales at P273,335,746.  With its Net Sales at P365,034,832, its Gross Profit amounted to P91,899,086 -- a gross profit rate of 25%.

In 2009, it declared its Cost of Sales at P324,508,893 and Net Sales at P426,881,955, coming out with a Gross Profit of P102,373,062 -- a Gross Profit of just 24%.

In 2010, Cost of Sales was at 469,298,415 and Net Sales was at P628,327,383, its Gross Profit was at P159,028,768 or again, just 25%.

In 2011, Cosmetique Asia Silka Papaya's Cost of Sales nearly doubled to P833,597,551! It's Net Sales was at P994,928,845 and its Gross Profit was at P161,331,294, making its Gross Profit Rate EVEN SMALLER at 16%!

To clarify things further, Cosmetic Asia Silka Papaya is claiming to have spent over P800 Million to make a gross profit of P160 Million.  That's like spending 80 pesos just to make 15 pesos at the end of the day -- which, if you asked any businessman, is hardly worth the effort and expense.

Further illustrating how incredulous Cosmetic Asia Silka Papaya's Gross Profit is, the gross profit rates of other larger companies are at 50% -- which is most likely the norm.

(In the next post, we will compare Cosmetique Asia Silak Papaya's Gross Profits with companies like Johnson and Johnson, Unilever, and Colgate Palmolive.)

Comparing Cosmetique Asia's Silka Papaya Soap 90% Average Annual Net Sales Growth With Other Companies

In our previous post, we showed how the Net Sales of Cosmetique Asia's Silka Papaya Soap grew from P365,034,832 in 2008 to P994,928,845 in 2011 -- achieving a Net Sales Growth of 272% in a span of just 3 years!

It's incredible that Silka Papaya Soap's Net Sales grew by an average of 90 percent per year!  And as they say, if it's too good to be true, it usually is.

Of course, the owners of Cosmetique Asia can say that their Net Sales Growth was because of the superiority of their product's quality as well as their intense and immensely successful marketing campaign.

Yeah, right!

Just to give you an idea of what real Net Sales performance are like for most companies, lets compare Cosmetique Asia Silka Papaya's Net Sales Growth performance with companies like Johnson and Johnson, Unilever, and Colgate Palmolive -- all of which have products similar to Cosmetique Asia.

In 2008, Johnson and Johnson reached Net Sales of  P 2,374,479,381 and in the following year, 2009, its Net Sales contracted to P 2,032,118,636 -- a decrease of 14.4%.

In 2010, Unilever achieved net sales of  P35,735,971,982 and in 2011, its Net Sales went up to  P38,859,784,456, representing an increase of 8.74%.

Furthermore, if we want to see how Cosmetique Asia's Silka Papaya's Net Sales Performance compares with Colgate Palmolive year to year.

In the matrix above, you will note that Cosmetique Asia's Net Sales growth increased 14.4% from 2008 to 2009, 32% from 2009 to 2010, and 36% from 2010 to 2011.  Silka Papaya's Net Sales Growth which had three consecutive years of growing by leaps and bounds -- an incredible feat, indeed.

On the other hand, Colgate Palmolive's Net Sales went down 28 percent in 2009, increased by 20 percent in 2010, and decreased again by 5.2 percent in 2011.

One thing you'll notice with real net sales growth is that fluctuates, increasing one year and decreasing one year.

Cosmetic Asia's Silka Papaya Net Sales growth is improbable and a sure tip-off that something screwy is happening with its books.

Either it really is experiencing a consistent Net Sales surge because of successful marketing and advertising (something that can be correlated to marketing and advertising spending), or it has been under reporting its real sales figures for years but is now just gradually adjusting it to reflect more accurate figures.

A research paper by Rosario Maranasan on Tax Evasion in the Philippines, a fellow at the Philippine Institute of Development Studies, describes the various ways companies and individuals cheat on their taxes:

Common practices of tax evasion include: under reporting of income, overstatement of expenses, use of fictitious receipts, the keeping of double sets of books, false or fictitious entries in books, fictitious transactions in the name of dummies, non-recording of sales, and others.

What Cosmetique Asia Silka Papaya is probably doing is under reporting its real Net Sales and by doing so, is reducing its gross income -- which is part of the basis for determining what it really owes in taxes.

Up Next: Cosmetique Asia Silka Papaya's Extraordinarily High Expenses Covers Up Its Real Income

Silka Papaya's Net Sales Reach Nearly One Billion Pesos

Go to any grocery and sari-sari store anywhere in the country, chances are that you will find Silka Papaya - a brand of skin whitening soap manufactured by Cosmetique Asia Corporation.

It is one of the most popular skin whitening soaps in the market today.

And its Net Sales Growth is nothing short of astounding!

According to its own Financial Statement, Cosmetique Asia Silka Papaya achieved Net Sales of P994,928,845.17 in 2011! Close to a BILLION PESOS in sales!!

If that weren't amazing enough, looking at the annual growth of its Net Sales from 2008 to 2011, Cosmetic Asia's seems to be expanding at a blistering rate.

In 2008, Silka Papaya achieved Net Sales of P365,034,832.  

In 2009, its Net Sales jumped by 14.4% to P426,881,955.  

In 2010, Silka's Net Sales increased to P628,327,183, jumping by 32%.  

In 2011, Silka managed to surpass its Net Sales again, reaching a 36.8% increase with its Net Sales at P994,928,845.

To most people, this huge growth in Net Sales would only appear that the company is experiencing great success.

But to tax examiners, it could be a tip off that something funny is happening and IT IS.

(Our Next Post: Comparing Cosmetique Asia's Silka Papaya Soap's Net Sales Growth With Other Companies)

Effectivity of BIR issuances

Effectivity of BIR issuances
by: Rachelle Ann C. Baod

TAXPAYERS and practitioners alike were recently bombarded by numerous and controversial rules and regulations from the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR). These issuances cover a wide variety of subjects and affect various types of taxpayers.

Most of these issuances did not even go through public hearing. It is more often the rule, not the exception, that taxpayers are caught unaware of the new requirements imposed upon them.

Not surprisingly, most taxpayers are now confused or ambivalent about how to implement the changes brought about by the new issuances.

On top of implementation and operational issues, taxpayers are also not clear as to when the issuances take effect and the periods covered by the issuances.

For instance, Revenue Regulations No. (RR) 14-2012 provided that the regulations shall take effect 15 days following complete publication in a newspaper of general circulation in the Philippines.

The effectivity clause, however, of RR No. 12-2012, Revenue Memorandum Circular (RMC) Nos. 77-2012, 75-2012, 73-2012 and 65-2012 provided that the same shall take effect immediately.

(Read Full Story Here)

Kim Henares, Tax Sheriff

Written By: Karen Lema, Reuters
Originally Posted in Interaksyon

The Philippines' chief tax collector is constantly thinking about targets. Sometimes she picks up an assault rifle and hits them.

In July 2010, newly-elected President Benigno Aquino III made Kim Henares commissioner of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) because he wanted a tough tax sheriff - and he got one who's taking aim at the country's legion of tax cheats.

Aquino gave Henares presidential guards, but the tax lawyer and accountant said "I should know how to shoot their guns, just in case".

The president, a gun enthusiast, gave her lessons at shooting ranges. The 52-year-old Henares, who packs a pistol, now can wield an M-16 and SG552 Commando.

Her no-nonsense approach appears to be helping pull in more tax, which is pivotal to meeting a government goal - getting rating agencies to award the Philippines investment-grade status.

Historically, tax collection has sometimes been a "let's make a deal" game between taxpayers and bribable officials.

Henares, BIR's deputy commissioner from 2003 to 2005, has been chasing evaders and crooked bureaucrats to clean up collection and the image of the bureau, perceived to be one of the country's most corrupt institutions.