by Nick Giongco
Manila, Philippines – Manny Pacquiao has dispatched his Canadian adviser to the United States to check on two pressing matters: tax issues and details of his April 2014 fight.
Mike Koncz left for the US over the weekend carrying specific instructions from the Filipino boxing hero focusing mainly on his tax woes.
“I am here to meet with our lawyers,” said Koncz from Los Angeles yesterday.
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) said Pacquiao owes the US government $18 million in back taxes stretching back to 2006, but the fighter, who turned 35 yesterday, said his promoter Top Rank had been religiously deducting 30 percent from his ring earnings and endorsement through the years.
The country’s Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) is also chasing Pacquiao for alleged unpaid taxes amounting to P2.2 billion.
Renowned tax lawyers, led by Steven Toscher, are handling Pacquiao’s case and Koncz said they are all upbeat that the amount his boss is going to end up paying will be considerably less than the declared $18 million.
Koncz said he would also be hooking up with Top Rank head Bob Arum to know what is down the road for Pacquiao as Arum has already penciled an April 12 date for his return and that the MGM Grand in Las Vegas will be the venue.
The identity remains a mystery as there are mixed signals coming from all directions.
Being mentioned are Juan Manuel Marquez, Tim Bradley and Ruslan Provodnikov of Russia although even Floyd Mayweather’s name is being floated.
Mayweather is seeing action on May 2 and aside from Amir Khan of England, Mayweather has mentioned Pacquiao as a possibility although Golden Boy Promotions sounded off that Pacquiao is not on its radar screen.
But reports from Mexico City say that a rematch between Marquez and Bradley is close to being done for March 2014 in San Antonio, Texas. Bradley had beaten Marquez last October on points.
Pacquiao is coming off a rousing victory over Brandon Rios in Macau last month.