Maria Suerte, a Filipino citizen, purchased a lot in Makati City in 1980 at a price of P1 million. Said property has been leased to MAS Corporation, a domestic corporation engaged in manufacturing paper products, owned 99% by Maria Suerte. In October 2007, EIP Corporation, a real estate developer, expressed its desire to buy the Makati property at its fair market value of P300 million, payable as follows:
(a) P60 million downpayment; and
(b) balance, payable equally in twenty four (24) monthly consecutive installments. Upon the advice of a tax lawyer, Maria Suerte exchanged her Makati property for shares of stock of MAS Corporation. A BIR ruling, confirming the tax-free exchange of property for shares of stock, was secured from the BIR National Office and a Certificate Authorizing Registration was issued by the Revenue District Officer (RDO) where the property was located. Subsequently, she sold her entire stockholdings in MAS Corporation to EIP Corporation for P300 million. In view of the tax advice, Maria Suerte paid only the capital gains tax of P29,895,000 (P100,000 x 5% plus P298,900,000 x 10%), instead of the corporate income tax of P104,650,000 (35% on P299 million gain from sale of real property). After evaluating the capital gains tax payment, the RDO wrote a letter to Maria Suerte, stating that she committed tax evasion. Is the contention of the RDO tenable? Or was it tax avoidance that Maria Suerte had resorted to? Explain. (6%)
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