The tax woes of boxing champion Manny Pacquiao continue to pile up.
Pacquiao still owes the United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS) $18.3 million (about P800 million) in unpaid taxes over years 2006 to 2010, according to a TMZ Sports article.
TMZ said Pacquiao failed to settle his taxes for three big fights—against Oscar dela Hoya in 2008, and Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto in 2009. He also allegedly did not settle his yearly tax liability in those five years.
Based on IRS documents retrieved by the TMZ, Pacquiao owed the IRS $1.2 million for 2006, $2 million for 2007, $2.9 million for 2008, $8 million for 2009 and $4.2 million for 2010.
The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) froze the bank accounts of the Sarangani lawmaker and garnished his assets to force him into paying P2.2 billion in tax liabilities, in the absence of documents that he paid taxes in the United States (US).
Pacquiao’s camp has assured the BIR it will submit the documents to prove that he paid his taxes in the US.
The Court of Appeals has prohibited Pacquiao and BIR officials from further discussing the issue.