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Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) audits have been proven to be tedious and rigorous tasks for taxpayers. From the moment the Letter of Authority (LOA) is received, with the back and forth between the submission of documents and the presentation of reconciliations, up to the final settlement of the issues.

Value-added tax (VAT) refund administration presents many challenges. Taxpayers often face frustration due to inefficient procedures and strict requirements even for legitimate refund claims.

One of the letters that taxpayers (lectiophile or not) dread receiving is a Letter of Authority (LoA). This is the official document that authorizes the BIR to examine and scrutinize a taxpayer’s books of accounts and other accounting records to check and determine the taxpayer’s tax compliance.

The Bureau provided several issuances setting less strict regulations compared to the previous requirements. Here are the various updates on Value-added Tax (VAT) regulations issued by the BIR this year, giving more power to taxpayers and concerned agencies.

Taxes have been around for thousands of years even in biblical times; and will continue to coexist in our civilization. Indeed, paying taxes is a burden we must accommodate and learn to live with. After all, taxes are collected for the welfare of the people.

In tax assessment cases, many taxpayers may be unaware of their basic rights. As part of due process, this article will briefly discuss one of the substantive requirements in assessment cases — The Notice of Informal Conference (NIC) or Notice of Discrepancy (NOD).

During tax assessments and even in applications for tax refunds or tax credits, taxpayers are normally being required to present the related documents to substantiate claims for expenses, exemptions, input taxes, and income tax credits. If the taxpayer fails to submit proper documents supporting its claim, the BIR will impose deficiency taxes, or even subject the taxpayer’s claim to disallowance due to discrepancies.

Recognizing the need to enhance the assistance granted to solo parents, our legislators did a double take on the old “Solo Parents’ Welfare Act of 2000 and approved R.A. No. 11861 last year. The new law expanded the benefits to include a 10% discount and exemption from the value-added tax (VAT) on certain essential purchases.