Top Takeaway:
- 75 Cases Filed: BIR filed 75 criminal complaints over ₱711M in vape tax evasion.
- Nationwide Crackdown: Raids uncovered untaxed, unregistered vape products across the Philippines.
- Warning Issued: Commissioner Lumagui: “Stop selling illegal vapes before you become our next case.”
The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has filed 75 criminal complaints against vape retailers and distributors accused of evading a combined ₱711.3 million in excise taxes. The cases, lodged before the Department of Justice on Wednesday, highlight the government’s intensifying crackdown on the illicit vape trade.
“This is a nationwide filing of criminal cases,” BIR Commissioner Romeo Lumagui Jr. said, noting that enforcement operations spanned Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. “Revenue regions from all over the country are filing their own cases.
The BIR has stated that it is also filing cases against the biggest illicit vape sellers such as Flava, Denkat, Flare, and Tap Fog. Today, due to the continuing disobedience of illicit vape retailers, they will suffer the same fate.”
The charges stem from a series of raids that uncovered widespread sales of vape products without internal revenue stamps or BIR registration. Confiscated items included both nicotine and non-nicotine products sold without payment of excise tax.
Those charged face counts of tax evasion, unlawful possession or removal of excise-taxed articles without payment, and failure to file excise tax returns.
The latest cases follow high-profile enforcement actions over the past two years. In February 2024, courts issued arrest warrants against sellers of the Tap Fog brand over an estimated ₱1.2 billion in unpaid taxes. In April 2025, the BIR filed ₱8.7 billion in tax evasion complaints against large-scale traders linked to the Flava, Denkat and Flare brands.
Lumagui delivered a pointed warning to the industry: “Patas dapat mag-negosyo sa Pilipinas. Bawal magbenta ng ilegal na vape… Wag niyo nang hintayin na kayo susunod naming kasuhan. Tigilan niyo na yan.” (“Business in the Philippines should be fair. Selling illegal vapes is banned… Don’t wait for us to sue you next. Stop it now.”)
