Taxpayers can take a breather as the country’s tax collection agency has suspended tax audits and other field operations as provided under Revenue Memorandum Circular (RMC) Nos. 76-2022 and 77-2022.
Under the RMCs, all field audits and other field operations of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) covered by Letters of Authority (LOA), Mission Orders (MO), Task Forces created through Revenue Special Orders (RSO), Operations Memoranda (OM), or through similar directives shall be suspended starting May 30, 2022. As such, BIR personnel are prohibited from conducting taxpayer visitations, and no new orders to audit shall be made from such date.
However, the suspension shall not cover the following instances: (1) the investigation of cases prescribing on or before October 31, 2022; (2) processing and verification of estate, donor’s, documentary stamps, capital gains, and/or withholding taxes on sale of real properties or shares of stocks; (3) examination of taxes for taxpayers retiring from business; (4) audits of national and local government units, government owned and controlled corporations, including subsidiaries and affiliates; or (5) other matters where deadlines have been imposed or as ordered by the Commissioner of Internal Revenue. The service of assessment notices, warrants, and seizure notices will still be in effect.
Meanwhile, taxpayers may also voluntarily pay their known deficiency taxes at this period without the need to secure authority from concerned BIR officials.
During this period, BIR personnel shall also be required to update their audit inventory and status.
Please be guided accordingly.
Source:
P&A Grant Thornton
Certified Public Accountants
P&A Grant Thornton is the Philippine member firm of Grant Thornton International Ltd.
As published in SunStar Cebu, dated 30 June 2022
