TAXPAYERS OPTION WHETHER TO REQUEST FOR REFUND OR CARRY OVER THE

EXCESS TAX PAID IS ALTERNATIVE IN NATURE AND SUCH OPTION SHALL BE

CONSIDERED IRREVOCABLE FOR THAT TAXABLE PERIOD.

A CORPORATE TAXPAYER MUST SATISFY THE THREE REQUIREMENTS PROVIDED BY

LAW IN ORDER TO CLAIM REFUND OR TAX CREDIT OF THE EXCESS WITHHOLDING
TAXES.

Republic of the Philippines v. Team (Phils.) Energy Corporation

G.R. No. 188016; January 14, 2015
Bersamin, J.:

FACTS:
Mirant (Philippines) Energy Corporation, a domestic corporation engaged in the business of
supplying and delivering electricity and providing services necessary in connection with the
supply or delivery of electricity, filed its Annual Income Tax Return (ITR) for the calendar years
2002 and 2003 on April 15, 2003 and April 15, 2004, respectively, showing the excess
creditable withholding taxes in the amounts of P6,232,003.00 and P10,134,410.00 and indicated
in the ITRs its option for the refund of the tax overpayments for taxable years 2002 and 2003,
respectively.
An Administrative claim for refund or the issuance of tax credit certificate was filed on March 22,
2015 with the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) in the total amount of P16,366,413.00. On April
14, 2015, respondent file a petition for review with the CTA in order to toll the running of the two-
year prescriptive period for claiming a refund under Section 229 of the National Internal
Revenue Code (NIRC) and also by reason of the inaction of the BIR.
The CTA second division ordered the BIR to refund excess taxes paid thus, petitioner filed a
petition for review before the CTA En Banc on the ground that there was violation on the part of
the respondent to comply with the requirements of Sec. 76, NIRC.
The petitioner asserts the necessity of submission of the quarterly return of the respondent to
prove its entitlement to the refund pursuant to Sec. 76 of the NIRC because such quarterly
returns would establish the correctness of the total amount of payments made and the taxes
due as reported on the adjusted return at the end of the year and because it will show that it did
not opt to carry-over the excess withholding tax to the succeeding quarter.
The respondent however, countered that the annual ITR for the calendar years 2002, 2003 and
2004 properly established that the excess tax credits were not carried over to the succeeding
years.
The CTA En Banc affirmed the decision of the CTA second division.

ISSUE:
Whether or not Mirant Energy Corporation proved its entitlement to the refund of taxes.
HELD:
Yes, Mirant Energy Corporation has proved its entitlement to the refund of taxes. Section 76 of
the NIRC provides that xxx every corporation liable to tax under Section 27 shall file a final
adjustment return covering the total taxable income for the preceding calendar of fiscal year. If
the sum of the quarterly tax payments made during the said taxable year is not equal to the total
tax due on the entire taxable income of that year, the corporation shall either:
(A) Pay the balance of the tax still due; or
(B) Carry over the excess credit; or
(C) Be credited or refunded with the excess amount paid, as the case may be xxx
Once the option to carry-over and apply the excess quarterly income tax against income tax due
for the taxable quarters of the succeeding taxable years has been made, such option shall be
considered irrevocable for that taxable period and no application for tax refund or issuance of a
tax credit certificate shall be allowed therefor xxx

The two options when there are excess taxes paid shall be alternative in nature in which the
corporation must indicate its intention whether to request for a refund or to claim for a tax credit.
In other words, a corporation must only select one option and this shall be irrevocable.
In the instant case, the respondent opted to be refunded or to be issued a tax credit certificate,
not to carry over the excess withholding tax for taxable year 2002 to the following taxable year
thus, such option is already considered irrevocable for that taxable period.
Moreover, the Court ruled that the following must be satisfied to entitle a corporation to a refund
of excess taxes paid:
a. That the claim for refund was filed within the two-year reglementary period pursuant to
Section 229 of the NIRC;
b. When it is shown on the ITR that the income payment received is being declared part of the
taxpayers gross income; and
c. Wen the fact of withholding is established by a copy of the withholding tax statement, duly
issued by the payor to the payee, showing the amount paid and income tax withheld from that
amount.
Furthermore, the filing of quarterly returns is not required to show that it did not carry-over the
excess withholding tax to the succeeding quarter. When the respondent was able to establish
prima facie its right to the refund by testimonial and object evidence, the petitioner should have
presented rebuttal evidence to shift the burden of evidence back to the respondent, the same
however, was not done in the case at bar.
Therefore, due to the irrevocability of its choice to claim a tax refund or a tax credit and also for
compliance with the above mentioned requisites, respondent Mirant Energy Corporation has
proved its entitlement to the refund of taxes.