Taguig: The Court of Tax Appeals (CTA) has dismissed a petition filed by Taguig City Mayor Laarni "Lani" Cayetano, which challenged the decision of the Taguig Regional Trial Court (RTC) that favored a local condominium corporation's claim for a refund of taxes collected a decade ago.

According to Philippines News Agency, in a 16-page decision penned by Associate Justice Marian Ivy Reyes-Fajardo on August 25, the CTA's Special Third Division upheld the 2024 ruling of the Taguig RTC Branch 153. This ruling supported Serendra Condominium Corporation's (SCC) claim for a partial tax credit of PHP2.29 million in local business taxes (LBT).

The decision consolidated SCC's two separate petitions with another case involving Cayetano and the city regarding Taguig's court ruling on the LBT, PHP2.73 million in environmental impact fees (EIF), and PHP150 business plate/sticker.

The RTC-Taguig determined that the LBT assessed against and collected from SCC for the year 2016 was incorrect, thus entitling SCC to a refund. The court clarified that as a condominium corporation, SCC was not operating as a business or for profit and therefore was not a 'contractor' under the Taguig Revenue Code, exempting it from LBT.

However, the RTC denied SCC's claims for the EIF and business plate/sticker fee, stating that these were not local taxes and fell outside its jurisdiction.