Customs to refund taxes on Filipina boxing champion’s belt

MANILA, Philippines – The Bureau of Customs (BOC) says it had “no idea” that the championship belt it charged duties and taxes to belonged to a Filipina boxer and has moved to issue a refund.

A BOC spokesperson says they thought Women’s International Boxing Association (WIBA) junior flyweight title winner Jujeath Nagaowa was not the owner of the belt, making it not exempted from import duties.

“The package was not consigned to her, but to a certain Brico Santig,” Deputy Commissioner for Revenue Collection and Monitoring Group (RCMG) Art Lachica said yesterday, referring to Nagaowa’s manager Santig.

Lachica, who reportedly talked to the Customs personnel who taxed the belt, explained that another person, identified as former boxer Jayvee Alipio, claimed the championship belt instead of Nagaowa when it was shipped to her from Macau by WIBA. 

“Hence, the Customs examiner assessed the belt as collection and not as a prize,” he said.

Nagaowa won the junior flyweight title belt against Chinese fighter Lou Yu Jie by unanimous decision last June 8. Her championship belt arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) recently, but she felt “hurt” upon learning it was taxed. 

(READ: Filipina boxer ‘hurt’ by Customs tax bill on championship belt)

Based on the BOC computation, the belt had a value of P20,147.77, for which the customs duty was P3,027.13 and the valued added tax was P2,782.

Unaware that Nagaowa won the belt in a boxing match abroad, Customs used the tariff heading “memorabilia” on the tax imposed on her belt. Nagaowa had to settle the amount with the help of her friends.

“The (BOC) employee who processed it had no idea that the belt was won in a bout so it had to undergo the usual process. It was a normal thing for the employee to assess the tax,” Lachica said. 

On September 1, Customs Commissioner Alberto Lina is set to have a meeting with Nagaowa in his BOC office in Port Area, Manila. 

“They would meet to discuss on how to make the refund,” said Lachica.

The Department of Finance (DOF), the mother agency of BOC, could authorize tax exemption on medals, awards, and trophies. 

Under Section 105 of the Tariff and Customs Code of the Philippines (TCCP), “medals, badges, cups and other small articles bestowed as trophies or prizes, or those received or accepted as honorary distinction” are among the items exempted from import duties. – Rappler.com