Internal Revenue Commissioner Caesar R. Dulay has issued a gag order to all officials and employees of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) on matters relating to tax policies, unless approved for publication by him.
Dulay issued Revenue Memorandum Order 46-2016 ordering all BIR employees to refrain from publicizing all advisories, revenue decisions and policy statements that may affect the rights and remedies of taxpayers, unless approved for publication by the BIR commissioner.
He said the centralized dissemination of policy statements will allow taxpayers to “better avail [themselves] of the tax-assistance and tax-compliance services offered by the agency.”
“It is to the best interest of the BIR and the general public that taxpayers be informed of all tax and tax-related issues and developments in the BIR in a clear, correct and unmistakable manner, so that they can better avail [themselves] of the tax-assistance and tax-compliance services offered by the agency and enjoy to the fullest the opportunities available for the protection and enhancement of their rights,” the memo read.
“Strictly for this reason, all advisories, revenue actions/decisions and policy statements that substantially affect the basic rights and remedies of the taxpayer relative to the assessment and collection of taxes or put in issue the government’s exercise of its taxing powers and tax administration responsibilities shall not be posted on the BIR web site or released to the print and broadcast media without the prior approval of the commissioner,” it added.
Dulay is said to be on the lookout for a spokesman for the BIR, and appears to be particularly wary of pronouncements from his subordinates, which could be construed as policy statements of the BIR itself.
Last week the BusinessMirror ran a story wherein a deputy commissioner of the BIR was quoted as saying that the BIR’s Evaluation Board is agreeable to a compromise worth P1 billion from Sen. Emmanuel D. Pacquiao if he so offers as settlement for his P2.26-billion tax-deficiency assessment.
Under Dulay’s new memorandum, BIR officials and employees found to be in violation of the gag order shall be subject to “appropriate disciplinary action.”