GenSan business chamber says BIR suspension of field tax audits a step towards transparency, fairness
GENERAL SANTOS CITY ( MindaNews / November 25 ) — The top official of the General Santos City Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (GSCCII) said the business organization welcomes the Bureau of Internal Revenue’s (BIR) temporary suspension of field tax audits, saying it could ease pressure on micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and restore confidence in tax administration.
In a Facebook post on November 25, GSCCII President Miguel Rene A. Dominguez called the development an important step and characterized the suspension is a step “toward fairness, transparency, and integrity in tax administration.”
He said the group supports the Department of Finance (DOF) and the BIR in their efforts to “protect taxpayers and promote a stable and business-friendly environment for all.”
In the statement, Dominguez also praised BIR Commissioner Charlito Mendoza and Finance Secretary Frederick D. Go for acting on complaints that the tax audits have placed “undue burden” on legitimate businesses.
“The suspension provides a critical and timely opportunity to revisit audit protocols, strengthen internal discipline, and correct systemic vulnerabilities that have affected enterprises – particularly MSMEs, which drive the local economy of General Santos City and the greater SOCCSKSARGEN region,” he said.
The chamber likewise welcomed the creation of a Technical Working Group on LOA and MO Integrity and Audit Reforms.
The suspension, issued through Revenue Memorandum Circular (RMC) 107-2025, immediately stops the creation, printing, signing and service of Letters of Authority (LOAs) and Mission Orders (MOs).
It covers audit units such as the Large Taxpayers Service, Assessment Divisions, VAT Audit Units, and Intelligence and Special Audit Units, but exempts certain urgent or legally mandated cases.
In a joint statement with Go posted on the DOF website on November 24, Mendoza stressed that “no LOA or MO shall be created, printed, signed, or served during the suspension period.”
LOAs authorize auditors to examine taxpayer records, while MOs direct revenue officers to conduct audits.
The order came after Senator Erwin Tulfo, on November 24, filed Senate Resolution No. 180 calling for a Blue Ribbon Committee investigation into what he called the “weaponization” of LOAs.
Tulfo alleged that some BIR officials issued LOAs for already settled tax years, lumped several years into a single audit, and pressured businesses into unofficial settlements or kickbacks.
Defending the suspension, Go said it shows the government’s “commitment to taxpayer rights” and that all taxpayers “shall be treated with the highest degree of professionalism, courtesy, and adherence to the rule of law.”
Mendoza said recommendations from the working group will guide how the BIR will resume its field operations, but gave no timeline for lifting the suspension.
For GSCCII, the suspension is meant to protect local businesses and maintain investor confidence, a step it said is vital to sustaining economic growth and jobs in the city. ( Guia A. Rebollido / MindaNews )
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