Republic of the Philippines

Congress of the Philippines

Metro Manila

Twelfth Congress
Third Regular Session

Begun and held in Metro Manila, on Monday, the twenty-eight day of July, two thousand three.

Republic Act No. 9282 March 30 2004

AN ACT EXPANDING THE JURISDICTION OF THE COURT OF TAX APPEALS

(CTA), ELEVATING ITS RANK TO THE LEVEL OF A COLLEGIATE COURT WITH
SPECIAL JURISDICTION AND ENLARGING ITS MEMBERSHIP, AMENDING FOR
THE PURPOSE CERTAIN SECTIONS OR REPUBLIC ACT NO. 1125, AS AMENDED,
OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE LAW CREATING THE COURT OF TAX APPEALS,
AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress

assembled:

Section 1. Section 1 of Republic Act No. 1125, as amended is hereby further amended to read as
follows:

"SECTION 1. Court; Justices; Qualifications; Salary; Tenure. - There is hereby created a

Court of Tax Appeals (CTA) which shall be of the same level as the Court of Appeals,
possessing all the inherent powers of a Court of Justice, and shall consist of a Presiding
Justice and five (5) Associate Justices. The incumbent Presiding Judge and Associate
Judges shall continue in office and bear the new titles of Presiding Justice and Associate
Justices. The Presiding Justice and the most Senior Associate Justice shall serve as
chairmen of the two (2) Divisions. The additional three (3) Justices and succeeding
members of the Court shall be appointed by the President upon nomination by the
Judicial and Bar Council. The Presiding Justice shall be so designated in his appointment,
and the Associate Justices shall have precedence according to the date of their respective
appointments, or when the appointments of two (2) or more of them shall bear the same
date, according to the order in which their appointments were issued by the President.
They shall have the same qualifications, rank, category, salary, emoluments and other
privileges, be subject to the same inhibitions and disqualifications, and enjoy the same
retirements and other benefits as those provided for under existing laws for the Presiding
Justice and Associate Justices of the Court of Appeals.

"Whenever the salaries of the Presiding Justice and the Associate Justices of the Court of
Appeals are increased, such increases in salaries shall be deemed correspondingly
extended to and enjoyed by the Presiding Justice and Associate Justices of the CTA.
 "The Presiding Justice and Associate Justices shall hold office during good behavior,
until they reach the age of seventy (70), or become incapacitated to discharge the duties
of their office, unless sooner removed for the same causes and in the same manner
provided by law for members of the judiciary of equivalent rank."

Section 2. Section 2 of the same Act is hereby amended to read as follows:

"SEC. 2. Sitting En Banc or Division; Quorum; Proceedings. - The CTA may sit en banc
or in two (2) Divisions, each Division consisting of three (3) Justices.

"Four (4) Justices shall constitute a quorum for sessions en banc and two (2) Justices for
sessions of a Division: Provided, That when the required quorum cannot be constituted
due to any vacancy, disqualification, inhibition, disability, or any other lawful cause, the
Presiding Justice shall designate any Justice of other Divisions of the Court to sit
temporarily therein.

"The affirmative votes of four (4) members of the Court en banc or two (2) members of a
Division, as the case may be, shall be necessary for the rendition of a decision or
resolution."

Section 3. Section 3 of the same Act is hereby amended to read as follows:

"SEC. 3. Clerk of Court; Division Clerks of Court; Appointment; Qualification;

Compensation. - The CTA shall have a Clerk of Court and three (3) Division Clerks of
Court who shall be appointed by the Supreme Court. No person shall be appointed Clerk
of Court or Division Clerk of Court unless he is duly authorized to practice law in the
Philippines. The Clerk of Court and Division Clerks of Court shall exercise the same
powers and perform the same duties in regard to all matters within the Court's
jurisdiction, as are exercised and performed by the Clerk of Court and Division Clerks of
Court of the Court of Appeals, in so far as the same may be applicable or analogous; and
in the exercise of those powers and the performance of those duties they shall be under
the direction of the Court. The Clerk of Court and the Division Clerks of Court shall have
the same rank, privileges, salary, emoluments, retirement and other benefits as those
provided for the Clerk of Court and Division Clerks of Court of the Court of Appeals,
respectively.'

Section 4. Section 4 of the same Act is hereby amended to read as follows:

"SEC. 4. Other Subordinate Employees. - The Supreme Court shall appoint all officials
and employees of the CTA, in accordance with the Civil Service Law. The Supreme
Court shall fix their salaries and prescribe their duties."

Section 5. Section 5 of the same Act is hereby amended to read as follows:

"SEC. 5. Disqualifications. - No Justice or other officer or employee of the CTA shall

intervene, directly or indirectly, in the management or control of any private enterprise
 which in any way may be affected by the functions of the Court. Justices of the Court
shall be disqualified from sitting in any case on the same grounds provided under Rule
one hundred thirty-seven of the Rules of Court for the disqualification of judicial officers.
No person who has once served in the Court in a permanent capacity, either as Presiding
Justice or as Associate Justice thereof, shall be qualified to practice as counsel before the
Court for a period of one (1) year from his retirement or resignation."

Section 6. Section 6 of the same Act is hereby amended to read as follows:

"SEC. 6. Place of Office. - The CTA shall have its principal office in Metro Manila and
shall hold hearings at such time and place as it may, by order in writing, designate."

Section 7. Section 7 of the same Act is hereby amended to read as follows:

"Sec. 7. Jurisdiction. - The CTA shall exercise:

"a. Exclusive appellate jurisdiction to review by appeal, as herein provided:

"1. Decisions of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue in cases involving

disputed assessments, refunds of internal revenue taxes, fees or other
charges, penalties in relation thereto, or other matters arising under the
National Internal Revenue or other laws administered by the Bureau of
Internal Revenue;

"2. Inaction by the Commissioner of Internal Revenue in cases involving

disputed assessments, refunds of internal revenue taxes, fees or other
charges, penalties in relations thereto, or other matters arising under the
National Internal Revenue Code or other laws administered by the Bureau
of Internal Revenue, where the National Internal Revenue Code provides a
specific period of action, in which case the inaction shall be deemed a
denial;

"3. Decisions, orders or resolutions of the Regional Trial Courts in local

tax cases originally decided or resolved by them in the exercise of their
original or appellate jurisdiction;

"4. Decisions of the Commissioner of Customs in cases involving liability

for customs duties, fees or other money charges, seizure, detention or
release of property affected, fines, forfeitures or other penalties in relation
thereto, or other matters arising under the Customs Law or other laws
administered by the Bureau of Customs;

"5. Decisions of the Central Board of Assessment Appeals in the exercise

of its appellate jurisdiction over cases involving the assessment and
taxation of real property originally decided by the provincial or city board
of assessment appeals;
 "6. Decisions of the Secretary of Finance on customs cases elevated to him
automatically for review from decisions of the Commissioner of Customs
which are adverse to the Government under Section 2315 of the Tariff and
Customs Code;

"7. Decisions of the Secretary of Trade and Industry, in the case of

nonagricultural product, commodity or article, and the Secretary of
Agriculture in the case of agricultural product, commodity or article,
involving dumping and countervailing duties under Section 301 and 302,
respectively, of the Tariff and Customs Code, and safeguard measures
under Republic Act No. 8800, where either party may appeal the decision
to impose or not to impose said duties.

"b. Jurisdiction over cases involving criminal offenses as herein provided:

"1. Exclusive original jurisdiction over all criminal offenses arising from
violations of the National Internal Revenue Code or Tariff and Customs
Code and other laws administered by the Bureau of Internal Revenue or
the Bureau of Customs: Provided, however, That offenses or felonies
mentioned in this paragraph where the principal amount o taxes and fees,
exclusive of charges and penalties, claimed is less than One million pesos
(P1,000,000.00) or where there is no specified amount claimed shall be
tried by the regular Courts and the jurisdiction of the CTA shall be
appellate. Any provision of law or the Rules of Court to the contrary
notwithstanding, the criminal action and the corresponding civil action for
the recovery of civil liability for taxes and penalties shall at all times be
simultaneously instituted with, and jointly determined in the same
proceeding by the CTA, the filing of the criminal action being deemed to
necessarily carry with it the filing of the civil action, and no right to
reserve the filling of such civil action separately from the criminal action
will be recognized.

"2. Exclusive appellate jurisdiction in criminal offenses:

"a. Over appeals from the judgments, resolutions or orders of the

Regional Trial Courts in tax cases originally decided by them, in
their respected territorial jurisdiction.

"b. Over petitions for review of the judgments, resolutions or

orders of the Regional Trial Courts in the exercise of their
appellate jurisdiction over tax cases originally decided by the
Metropolitan Trial Courts, Municipal Trial Courts and Municipal
Circuit Trial Courts in their respective jurisdiction.

"c. Jurisdiction over tax collection cases as herein provided:

 "1. Exclusive original jurisdiction in tax collection cases
involving final and executory assessments for taxes, fees,
charges and penalties: Provided, however, That collection
cases where the principal amount of taxes and fees,
exclusive of charges and penalties, claimed is less than One
million pesos (P1,000,000.00) shall be tried by the proper
Municipal Trial Court, Metropolitan Trial Court and
Regional Trial Court.

"2. Exclusive appellate jurisdiction in tax collection cases:

"a. Over appeals from the judgments, resolutions or

orders of the Regional Trial Courts in tax collection
cases originally decided by them, in their respective
territorial jurisdiction.

"b. Over petitions for review of the judgments,

resolutions or orders of the Regional Trial Courts in
the Exercise of their appellate jurisdiction over tax
collection cases originally decided by the
Metropolitan Trial Courts, Municipal Trial Courts
and Municipal Circuit Trial Courts, in their
respective jurisdiction."

Section 8. Section 10 of the same Act is hereby amended to read as follows:

"SEC. 10. Power to Administer Oaths; Issue Subpoena; Punish for Contempt. - The Court
shall have the power to administer oaths, receive evidence, summon witnesses by
subpoena duces tecum, subject in all respects to the same restrictions and qualifications
as applied in judicial proceedings of a similar nature. The Court shall, in accordance with
Rule seventy-one of the Rules of Court, have the power to punish for contempt for the
same causes, under the same procedure and with the same penalties provided therein."

Section 9. Section 11 of the same Act is hereby amended to read as follows:

"SEC. 11. Who May Appeal; Mode of Appeal; Effect of Appeal. - Any party adversely
affected by a decision, ruling or inaction of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue, the
Commissioner of Customs, the Secretary of Finance, the Secretary of Trade and Industry
or the Secretary of Agriculture or the Central Board of Assessment Appeals or the
Regional Trial Courts may file an appeal with the CTA within thirty (30) days after the
receipt of such decision or ruling or after the expiration of the period fixed by law for
action as referred to in Section 7(a)(2) herein.

"Appeal shall be made by filing a petition for review under a procedure analogous to that
provided for under Rule 42 of the 1997 Rules of Civil Procedure with the CTA within
thirty (30) days from the receipt of the decision or ruling or in the case of inaction as
 herein provided, from the expiration of the period fixed by law to act thereon. A Division
of the CTA shall hear the appeal: Provided, however, That with respect to decisions or
rulings of the Central Board of Assessment Appeals and the Regional Trial Court in the
exercise of its appellate jurisdiction appeal shall be made by filing a petition for review
under a procedure analogous to that provided for under rule 43 of the 1997 Rules of Civil
Procedure with the CTA, which shall hear the case en banc.

"All other cases involving rulings, orders or decisions filed with the CTA as provided for
in Section 7 shall be raffled to its Divisions. A party adversely affected by a ruling, order
or decision of a Division of the CTA may file a motion for reconsideration of new trial
before the same Division of the CTA within fifteens (15) days from notice thereof:
Provide, however, That in criminal cases, the general rule applicable in regular Courts on
matters of prosecution and appeal shall likewise apply.

"No appeal taken to the CTA from the decision of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue
or the Commissioner of Customs or the Regional Trial Court, provincial, city or
municipal treasurer or the Secretary of Finance, the Secretary of Trade and Industry and
Secretary of Agriculture, as the case may be shall suspend the payment, levy, distraint,
and/or sale of any property of the taxpayer for the satisfaction of his tax liability as
provided by existing law: Provided, however, That when in the opinion of the Court the
collection by the aforementioned government agencies may jeopardize the interest of the
Government and/or the taxpayer the Court any stage of the proceeding may suspend the
said collection and require the taxpayer either to deposit the amount claimed or to file a
surety bond for not more than double the amount with the Court.

"In criminal and collection cases covered respectively by Section 7(b) and (c) of this Act,
the Government may directly file the said cases with the CTA covering amounts within
its exclusive and original jurisdiction."

Section 10. Section 13 of the same Act is hereby amended to read as follows:

"SEC. 13. Decision, Maximum Period for Termination of Cases. - Cases brought before
the Court shall be decided in accordance with Section 15, paragraph (1), Article VIII
(Judicial Department) of the 1987 Constitution. Decisions of the Court shall be in
writing, stating clearly and distinctly the facts and the law on which they are based, and
signed by the Justices concurring therein. The Court shall provide for the publication of
its decision in the Official Gazette in such form and manner as may best be adopted for
public information and use.

"The Justices of the Court shall each certify on their applications for leave, and upon
salary vouchers presented by them for payment, or upon the payrolls under which their
salaries are paid, that all proceedings, petitions and motions which have been submitted
to the Court for determination or decision for a period required by the law or the
Constitution, as the case may be, have been determined or decided by the Court on or
before the date of making the certificate, and no leave shall be granted and no salary shall
be paid without such certificate."
Section 11. Section 18 of the same Act is hereby amended as follows:

"SEC. 18. Appeal to the Court of Tax Appeals En Banc. - No civil proceeding involving
matter arising under the National Internal Revenue Code, the Tariff and Customs Code or
the Local Government Code shall be maintained, except as herein provided, until and
unless an appeal has been previously filed with the CTA and disposed of in accordance
with the provisions of this Act.

"A party adversely affected by a resolution of a Division of the CTA on a motion for
reconsideration or new trial, may file a petition for review with the CTA en banc."

"SEC. 19. Review by Certiorari. - A party adversely affected by a decision or ruling of

the CTA en banc may file with the Supreme Court a verified petition for review on
certiorari pursuant to Rule 45 of the 1997 Rules of Civil Procedure."

Section 13. Distraint of Personal Property and/or Levy on Real Property. - Upon the issuance of
any ruling, order or decision by the CTA favorable to the national government, the CTA shall
issue an order authorizing the Bureau of Internal Revenue, through the Commissioner to seize
and distraint any goods, chattels, or effects, and the personal property, including stocks and other
securities, debts, credits, bank accounts, and interests in and rights to personal property and/or
levy the real property of such persons in sufficient quantity to satisfy the tax or charge together
with any increment thereto incident to delinquency. This remedy shall not be exclusive and shall
not preclude the Court from availing of other means under the Rules of Court.

Section 14. Retention of Personnel; Security of Tenure; Upgrading of Positions and Salaries. -
All existing permanent personnel of the CTA shall not be adversely affected by this Act. They
shall continue in office and shall not be removed or separated from the service except for cause
as provided for by existing laws. Further, the present positions and salaries of personnel shall be
upgraded to the level of their counterparts in the Court of Appeals.

Section 15. Transitory Provisions. - In consonance with the above provision, the incumbent
Presiding Judge and Associate Judges shall comprise a Division pending the constitution of the
entire Court.

Section 16. Appropriations. - The amount necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act shall
be included in the General Appropriations Act of the year following its enactment into law and
thereafter.

Section 17. Repealing Clause. - All laws, executive orders, executive issuances or letter of
instructions, or any part thereof, inconsistent with or contrary to the provisions of this Act are
hereby deemed repealed, amended or modified accordingly.

Section 18. Separability Clause. - If for any reason, any section or provision of this Act shall be
declared unconstitutional or invalid, the other parts thereof not affected thereby shall remain
valid.
Section 19. Effectivity Clause - This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days following its
publication in at least (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,

FRANKLIN DRILON JOSE DE VENECIA JR.

President of the Senate Speaker of the House of
Representatives

This Act which is a consolidation of Senate Bill No. 2712 and House Bill No. 6673 was finally
passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives on December 8, 2003 and February 2,
2004, respectively.

OSCAR G. YABES ROBERTO P. NAZARENO

Secretary of Senate Secretary General
House of Represenatives

Approved: March 30 2004

GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO
President of the Philippines