THE suspension of all Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) field audits will provide immediate relief to businesses and allow them to focus their attention on other priorities, a business chamber said on Tuesday.
The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) said that the Department of Finance’s intervention provides “crucial and immediate relief” to businesses, especially micro, small and medium enterprises.
In particular, the PCCI said that the suspension gives businesses “much-needed operational breathing room to better focus on year-end priorities such as strategic planning, inventory management, and holiday season sales without the added pressure of a BIR audit.”
Revenue Memorandum Circular 107-2025 ordered the suspension of all field audits and related operations.
PCCI also welcomed the establishment of the technical working group (TWG) reviewing and updating the BIR’s policy frameworks related to the issuance of letters of authority (LoA).
“The creation of the TWG to conduct a comprehensive review signals a concrete and meaningful step toward addressing long-standing concerns about clarity, consistency, and proper oversight in audit processes,” it said.
“The PCCI sees this as an important opportunity to improve guidelines, strengthen internal controls, and ensure that the audit system fully aligns with established rules and the principles of due process,” it added.
Meanwhile, Philippine Retailers Association Chairman Roberto S. Claudio said that the suspension is a welcome development.
“This is welcome news not only to retailers but to all businessmen who have suffered from unfair practices of the BIR,” he said via Viber.
He said the DoF now needs “to define BIR’s authority and systems to audit without harassing taxpayers.”
Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in the Philippines Foundation, Inc. President Danilo C. Lachica noted that these audits have been discouraging businesses from availing of incentives.
“There are a lot of incentives like training, research and development, and investments. But unfortunately, within our members, no one is applying. Why? Because before reimbursement, there will be audits,” he said. — Justine Irish D. Tabile