[av_one_full first min_height=” vertical_alignment=” space=” custom_margin=” margin=’0px’ padding=’0px’ border=” border_color=” radius=’0px’ background_color=” src=” background_position=’top left’ background_repeat=’no-repeat’ animation=”]
[av_heading heading=’Over 10T PECO posts taxable ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY GLENDA SOLOGASTOA
[/av_heading]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=”]
ILOILO City – At least 10,000 wooden, concrete and steel posts of Panay Electric Company (PECO) are taxable, the City Assessor’s Office said.
The Assessor’s Office is inventorying the posts in line with the Aug. 5, 2015 Supreme Court ruling on the case “Manila Electric Company vs. the City Assessor and City Treasurer of Lucena City.”
Under the ruling, machineries — including transformers, electric posts, transmission lines, insulators, and electric meters — are not exempted from real property taxes.
Engr. Mitchell Gonzalez, assistant city assessor for operation, said the figure was partial.
“Poste lang anay,” said Gonzalez. “Kon tan-awon mo, may transmission lines pa. Uti-uti gid katama.”
All posts will be assessed based on current average market price.
After which, the City Treasurer’s Office will determine how much tax will be imposed, he said.
The Assessor’s Office aims to complete the inventory and assessment before the year ends.
The Sangguniang Panlungsod committee on public utilities led by Councilor RLeone Gerochi will meet with the PECO and the Assessor’s Office today to discuss the imposition of real property taxes.
Gonzalez said they are also targeting the posts and other machineries of telecommunication companies.
City Assessor Nelson Parreño said in a city hall press release the ruling is “very favorable, considering that it will generate more revenues for the city.”
Section 199 (o) of Republic Act 7160 (R.A. 7160), or the Local Government Code of 1991, defines “machinery” as machines, equipment, mechanical contrivances, instruments, appliances or apparatus which may or may not be attached, permanently or temporarily, to the real property.
It includes the physical facilities for production, the installations and appurtenant service facilities, those which are mobile, self-powered or self-propelled, and those not permanently attached to the real property which are actually, directly, and exclusively used to meet the needs of the particular industry, business or activity and which by their very nature and purpose are designed for, or necessary to its manufacturing, mining, logging, commercial, industrial or agricultural purposes.
The law further provides that these “machineries,” though not attached permanently to the real properties of PECO, are actually, directly and exclusively used to meet the needs of their business of distributing electricity, the press release stated./PN
[/av_textblock]
[/av_one_full]
