The CTA En Banc affirmed the decision of the CTA Division dismissing the taxpayer’s appeal for lack of jurisdiction.
When a taxpayer assails the reasonableness of the amount of the real property tax (RPT) or where the issue involves a question of fact, the proper recourse is to pay the assailed the RPT assessment and protest the same with the local treasurer and/or assessor, as the case may be within 30 days from the date of payment. The treasurer and/or assessor shall have 60 days from receipt within which to decide the protest. If the decision is unfavorable, the taxpayer has 60 days to appeal to the local board of assessment appeals, which if the latter decides unfavorably, the matter may be appealed to CBAA within 30 days. If the CBAA’s decision is unfavorable, the taxpayer may appeal with the CTA En Banc (“Prior exhaustion of administrative remedies”).
Claiming exemption from RPT raises a question as to the correctness or reasonableness of an assessment, thus, it involves a question of fact which requires exhaustion of administrative remedies.
- In this case, the taxpayer’s claim of RPT exemption arising from availment of incentives is a question of fact which should be subject to prior exhaustion of administrative remedies. The taxpayer should not have directly resorted to the regular court.
Therefore, the resulting assessment issued against the taxpayer is upheld (Jetti Petroleum, Inc. v. Tolentino, CTA EB No. 2093, July 14, 2020)