The Bohol complex opens its doors 2 hours after the closure of the BIR due to unpaid taxes

PANGLAO, Bohol – Less than two hours after its closure by the BIR, an upscale resort has resumed operations.

The Bohol Hennan Resort's 400-room resort located on Alona Beach in Panglao has resumed business after being discharged from its tax obligations with the BIR.

The closure panel, which was placed by BIR at the entrance to the resort's convention center, was removed, said Henan's legal adviser, Alan Siu.

He explained that there was no unpaid tax on the part of the hotel but only a delay in payment with BIR.

He refused to disclose the amount paid to BIR.

Eduard Pagulayan, director of BIR for Central Visayas, issued a closure order on Tuesday at 11am Hennan for failing to report his total income.

"Their gross revenue (Bohol Hennan Resort Inc) is under-reported by more than 30%. This is the violation, "said Pagulayan to the Enquirer after placing the closing notification at the entrance of the hotel's convention center.

He did not specify how much Hennan owed to the government, except that the amount was "substantial".

Pagulayan said that Hennan was Bohol's first hotel closed by BIR since the agency had started implementing Oplan Kandado, which aimed to maximize the degree of tax compliance and impose hefty penalties on violators.

The agency's monitoring of Hennan began last September after finding anomalies in the station's tax return.

The BIR sent Hennan a notice of violation and a 48-hour notice of compliance, but the hotel management did not respond, prompting the agency to order the closure.

"It's a strong message that they have to pay their taxes in a religious way," Pagulayan said.

"We need to help our government build, build, build, build, build, build, build, build, build, build, build, build our program. President, that is why it is necessary that they pay the appropriate taxes, "he added.