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Gentlemen :
This refers to your letter dated November 12, 2009 Greenfield Development
Corporation (Greenfield) is a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the
Philippine; that it is primarily engaged in the real estate business; that the Second
Article of the Articles of Incorporation of Greenfield provides for its primary purpose,
as follows:
"To purchase or otherwise acquire and own, use, hold, sell, convey,
exchange, lease, mortgage, take options to, and otherwise deal in urban and
rural real properties, whether improved or unimproved, and any interest or
right therein; to manage, administer and improve real properties owned or
controlled by the corporation; to erect, construct, enlarge, alter or improve
buildings or other structures on lands held or owned by the corporation; and to
promote, finance and manage building operations, subdivisions, real
developments or any other transactions involving real estate or any interest
therein."
that on the other hand, Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) is a corporation organized
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and existing under the laws of the Philippines with principal office address at the BPI
Head Office Building, Ayala corner Paseo de Roxas Avenue, Makati City; that the
Second Article of the Articles of Incorporation of BPI provides for its primary
purpose, as follows: ETDSAc
"That the purposes for which said corporation is formed are to operate
under an expanded commercial banking authority, as well as to engage in and
carry on the business of a trust company and to conduct such other business as
is now or may hereafter be allowed by law; and by virtue thereof, to possess
and exercise the powers, rights, privileges and attributes of a commercial bank
with expanded commercial banking authority and a trust company, as
provided by law."
that BPI is the absolute and registered owner of a parcel of land identified as Lot
2056-E located in Barangay Don Jose, Sta. Rosa, Laguna, with a land area of One
Hundred Seventy Two Thousand One Hundred Fifteen (172,115) square meters, more
or less, and covered by TCT No. T-103710 of the Registry of Deeds of Calamba (the
BPI Property); that Greenfield and BPI agreed to establish an unincorporated joint
venture to pool their resources to develop the BPI Property into a first class residential
subdivision; that for this purpose, on June 26, 2009, Greenfield and BPI entered into a
Joint Venture Agreement (JVA) with a sharing of 60%-40% in favour of Greenfield
on the net proceeds of the sale of lots; that pursuant to Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas
(BSP) Circular No. 518 series of 2006 dated March 9, 2006, the Monetary Board
approved the JVA on August 27, 2009; and that the basic terms and features of the
JVA are as follows:
a. The BPI Property shall be contributed by BPI to the joint venture and
shall be merged with another adjacent parcel or other surrounding
parcels of land owned by Greenfield (the aggregate of the BPI Property
and those of Greenfield is referred to in the JVA as the "Combined
Property") for development of the consolidated parcels of land into a
first class residential subdivision.
1. The JVA between Greenfield and BPI for the development of the
Subject Property into a first class residential subdivision will not give
rise to a taxable joint venture as provided under Section 22 (B) in
relation to Section 27 (A) of the Tax Code of 1997;
4. The sales to third parties of the developed lots registered in the name of
Greenfield (the Greenfield Lots) shall be subject to the regular corporate
income tax in accordance with Section 27 (A) of the Tax Code of 1997
and consequently, to withholding tax at the rate of 5% provided under
Revenue Regulations No. 2-98, as amended.
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Finally, the sales of the Greenfield Lots which are below P1,500,000.00
(and below P2,500,000.00 for residential house and lots or other
dwellings) are exempted from VAT pursuant to Section 109 (P) of the
Tax Code, as implemented by Sections 4.1006-3 and 4.109-2 of
Revenue Regulations No. 16-2005, as amended by Revenue
Regulations No. 4-2007. On the other hand, sales of the Greenfield Lots
(or residential house and lots, if any) that are above the foregoing
thresholds shall be subject to VAT at the rate of 12% based on the
consideration stated in the sales document or the fair market value,
whichever is higher, in accordance with Sections 106 and 109 of the
Tax Code; HASDcC
5. The sales to third parties of the developed lots registered in the name of
BPI (the BPI Lots) shall be subject to regular corporate income tax in
accordance with Section 27 (A) of the Tax Code of 1997 and
consequently, to withholding tax at the rate of six percent (6%) under
Section 2 (b) of Revenue Regulations No. 7-2003.
Furthermore, the sales of the BPI Lots to third parties shall be subject to
DST in accordance with Section 196 of the Tax Code.
However, the sales to third parties of the BPI Lots shall not be subject to
VAT since under Section 121 of the Tax Code of 1997, as implemented
by Section 3 of Revenue Regulations No. 9-2004, the tax to be imposed
on a bank on its income from the exchange of real property shall be the
gross receipts tax; and
6. The allocation of the 60%-40% net proceeds on the sales of the saleable
lots in favour of Greenfield and BPI, respectively, is not a taxable event,
and is not subject to income tax and, subsequently, to withholding tax,
VAT and DST since the allocation of the net proceeds is a mere return
of capital that each party to the JVA has contributed.
1. Section 22 (B) of the Tax Code of 1997 provides that the term
'corporation' shall include partnerships, no matter how created or organized,
joint-stock companies, joint accounts (cuentas en participacion), associations, or
insurance companies, but does not include general professional partnerships and a
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joint venture or consortium formed for the purpose of undertaking construction
projects or engaging in petroleum, coal, geothermal and other energy operations
pursuant to an operating or consortium agreement under a service contract with the
Government. 'General professional partnerships' are partnerships formed by persons
for the sole purpose of exercising their common profession, no part of the income of
which is derived from engaging in any trade or business." (underline supplied)
Likewise, the transfer of land by BPI and Greenfield is not subject to VAT.
This is so because by contributing the parcels of land, the parties to the joint venture
neither sell, barter, exchange goods, property nor render services. Section 105 of the
Tax Code of 1997, provides that only a person who, in the course of trade or business,
sells, barters, exchanges, leases goods or properties, renders services and any person
who imports goods shall be subject to VAT. Since by contributing the land to form
part of the capital of the joint venture, there was no disposition akin to sale, barter and
exchange of goods. Consequently, the transfer of Land by BPI and Greenfield is not
subject to VAT.
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realty not in connection with a sale, to trustees or other persons without consideration
are not taxable." Accordingly, since the JVA is done without consideration and not in
connection with a sale between Greenfield and BPI, no DST is due and collectible
thereon. However, the notarial acknowledgment of the said document shall be subject
to the P15.00 DST pursuant to Section 188 of the Tax Code of 1997, as amended.
Furthermore, Section 3.2 of Article III of the JVA, provides that Greenfield, as
its contribution to the joint venture, shall develop, market and sell the Subject
Property into a first-class residential subdivision. Thus, the performance by
Greenfield of the developmental works specified in the JVA, being its capital
contribution in the form of services and skills, shall likewise be not subject to income
tax, VAT and DST. (BIR Ruling No. 187-82 dated June 3, 1982)
Furthermore, under Section 105 of the Tax Code of 1997, as amended, the
allocation of the developed subdivision lots is not subject to VAT since such is not
pursuant to a sale, barter, or exchange of goods and property. In the same vein, the
allocation is not subject to DST since it does not result in a contract of sale over real
property nor an instrument which conveys title to real property.
4. Sales of the Greenfield Lots to third parties shall be subject to the regular
corporate income tax under Section 27 (A) of the Tax Code of 1997, as amended, and
consequently, subject to withholding tax of five percent (5%) under Revenue
Regulations No. 2-98, as amended.
The sales of the Greenfield Lots to third parties shall be subject to DST at the
rate of Fifteen pesos (P15.00) for each One thousand pesos (P1,000), or fractional part
thereof in excess of One thousand pesos (P1,000), based on the total amount of
consideration or the fair market value, whichever is higher, in accordance with
Section 196, supra.
However, the sales of the Greenfield Lots to third parties which are below
P1,500,000.00 (and below P2,500,000.00 for residential house and lots or other
dwellings) are exempt from VAT pursuant to Section 109 (P) of the Tax Code of
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1997, as amended by RA No. 9337, as implemented by Revenue Regulations No.
16-2005. Accordingly, all sales exceeding the above thresholds shall be subject to
VAT.
This is fortified in BIR Ruling No. DA002-08 dated January 8, 2008, where
this Office ruled that —
Moreover, the deeds of sale and conveyances of real property executed over
the BPI Lots shall be subject to DST under Section 196 of the Tax Code of 1997, as
amended.
However, the sale of the BPI Lots shall not be subject to VAT. Section 121 of
the Tax Code of 1997 provides —
In the instance case, the gain from the sale of the subdivision lots that
will be derived by BDO is clearly subject to the gross receipts tax considering
that BDO is a bank and said sale falls within the purview of Section 121 (c) of
the Tax Code of 1997, which explicitly provides that profits from exchange
and all other items treated as gross income under Section 32 of this Code shall
be subject to the gross receipts tax of seven percent (7%), which necessarily
includes the sale or exchange of real or personal property owned by banks.
Accordingly, this Office hereby confirms your opinion that the gain or
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income arising from the sale or exchange of subdivision lots by BDO in
favour of CAPI is not subject to VAT, but to the gross receipts tax of 7%
pursuant to Section 121 of the Tax Code of 1997, as amended."
6. The return to the parties of the proceeds of the sales of the Saleable Lots
in the Subject Property, based on their allocation of 60%-40% in favour of
Greenfield, is not a taxable event and thus, not subject to income tax and
consequently to withholding tax, VAT and DST because the allocation is a mere
return of capital that each has contributed. In BIR Ruling No. DA086-07 dated
February 13, 2007, this Office ruled that —
The share in the net proceeds distributed to the respective joint venture
partners is not subject to the expanded withholding tax, the same being a mere
return of capital that each co-venturer has contributed to the JVA (BIR Ruling
No. DA-057-2003 dated January 21, 2003). . . . . Moreover, SOPBI shall
declare as part of its income the 3% marketing fee, 2% management fee and
18% commission based on the gross market price per memorial lot sold. The
3% marketing fee, 2% management fee and 18% commission based on the
gross market price per memorial lot sold are likewise subject to the
withholding tax imposed on income payments made to juridical persons
prescribed under Revenue Regulations No. 2-98, as amended, at the rate of
10%."
Pursuant to the said ruling, Greenfield shall also declare as part of its income
the Sales Service Fee, the Marketing Service Fee and Management Service Fee on all
Saleable Lots sold by Greenfield. These fees are likewise subject to the withholding
tax imposed on income payments made to juridical persons prescribed under Revenue
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Regulations No. 2-98, as amended, at the rate of 10%.
This will authorize the Revenue District Officer (RDO) of the revenue district
where the property is located to issue the corresponding Certificate Authorizing
Registration (CAR) and Tax Clearance Certificate (TCL) involving the transfer of the
titles to the parties based on their respective allocations pursuant to the JVA, without
need of the presentation of proof of payment of the expanded withholding tax,
value-added tax and the corresponding documentary stamp tax. Provided, that the
parties to the joint venture shall cause the Register of Deeds to annotate on the TCTs
that a development project is being undertaken on the lands and is the object of the
joint venture between the parties, and that the afore-stated joint venture is held to be a
tax-exempt entity pursuant to this Ruling issued by this Office. Provided further, that
parties to the joint venture shall inform the Bureau of Internal Revenue, through the
Law Division, of the fulfillment of the requirement on the distribution of the lots in
accordance with the allocation ratio in the JVA. For this purpose, a compliance report
of the project indicating the number of lots developed/built, the respective TCTs and
the party in whose name the corresponding title was issued. (BIR Ruling No.
DA-373-2008 dated June 19, 2008) DEHaTC
This ruling is being issued on the basis of the foregoing facts as represented.
However, if upon investigation, it will be disclosed that the facts are different, then
this ruling shall be considered null and void.
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