BOC Chief Apologizes to Pinay Actress Bela Padilla Due to Wrong Tax Computation “’Yung calculator may kulang’”
The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has apologized to actress Bela Padilla after she raised concerns about an excessive tax charge on one of her online purchases.
Recently, the popular Pinay actress Bela Padilla went viral online after sharing her experience, pointing out the big difference between the amount on the BOC’s online calculator and the actual tax she was asked to pay.
Bela shared that she was charged around P4,600 for an order worth P11,000, even though the online calculator showed that she only needed to pay about P1,650. The incident left her and many netizens questioning how the computation was made.
BOC Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno admitted that the online calculator was inaccurate and incomplete. He explained that some charges such as freight and documentary stamps were not included in the calculator, which caused the large difference. To prevent more confusion, the tool has now been taken down.
“Nagpapaumanhin ako kay Ms. Bela at sa lahat ng ating kababayan na nagkaroon ng ganyang hindi magandang karanasan po sa BOC,” Nepomuceno said.
Nepomuceno assured the public that there was no cheating involved in the tax collection. Instead, it was the calculator’s inconsistency that created misunderstandings. He also acknowledged that anyone in Bela’s place would feel upset and doubtful, given the wrong computation displayed online.
“May mga kulang na items na dapat idagdag pala…’Yung calculator, hindi consistent. Pinapa-take down na natin ngayon,” he added.
The commissioner expressed his apology not only to Bela but also to other Filipinos who may have experienced the same problem. He also promised that the BOC will improve its systems to make tax charges clearer, fairer, and easier for everyone to understand.
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