What do I do if my company receives a BIR tax audit notice (Letter of Authority)?+
Receiving a Letter of Authority does not automatically mean something is wrong, but ignoring it escalates quickly to an assessment notice or even a business closure order. First verify the LOA itself was properly issued, then prepare your response within the process. See our full BIR audit guide for the complete process.
Your Supplier Gave You Fake or Invalid Invoices?+
Stop claiming on that supplier's invoices, preserve every invoice and payment record untouched, and review past returns with your accountant. Consult a licensed lawyer on your case; this is not legal advice. See our full guide.
VAT Refund Denied or Ignored in the Philippines?+
If your VAT refund claim is denied or simply goes quiet, get the decision in writing, sort the reason into documents, eligibility or timing, and calendar the remedy deadline immediately. Consult a licensed lawyer on your case; this is not legal advice. See our full guide.
Our bookkeeper missed filings and vanished, and penalties are piling up. What do we do?+
Do not chase the agent first. Have the company check its own unfiled returns, balances and penalties at the tax office, and confirm SEC, permit and social-security filings. File every current period on time, then catch up on the backlog in order. The filing duty is the company's, so the agent's failure is no excuse. Consult a licensed lawyer; this is not legal advice. See our full guide.
BIR officers showed up with a Mission Order to check our receipts. What do we do on the spot?+
First ask for their IDs and the Mission Order, photograph them and check the names, target and validity. A field visit like this checks visible compliance such as registration, receipts and posted certificates; it is not an audit or a closure. Do not offer money, sign anything hastily or hand over boxes of books. See our full guide.
BIR shows a long list of open cases against our company. How do we clear them?+
An open case is not a fine; it is a record that a return for a registered tax and period was never received. Get the full list, then sort each line into truly unfiled, filed but not matched, or a tax type that should not be registered, and fix each group differently. Paying everything at once often costs more. Consult a licensed lawyer; this is not legal advice. See our full guide.
I received a BIR Subpoena Duces Tecum. What should I do?+
It is compulsory and must be answered: appear with the records on the stated date, or request an extension in writing before it. It usually follows earlier document requests the bureau considers unmet. It is not yet a tax assessment or a criminal charge, but it marks the line between cooperating and being treated as non-compliant. Consult a licensed lawyer; this is not legal advice. See our full guide.
I filed a BIR return with errors. Can I amend it?+
Diagnose before refiling: what is wrong, how much tax it affects and whether an audit notice has arrived, then let your accountant decide whether and how to amend. Separate substantive errors that change the tax due from formal ones like a wrong period or box; under-declaring needs prompt payment, over-declaring may allow a credit or refund by procedure. Amending before an audit is usually easier. See our full guide.
My BIR Certificate of Registration is lost, damaged or was never displayed. What do I do?+
Apply for a replacement at the revenue district office where you are registered, and keep the receiving copy where the certificate should hang. Never display a photocopy as the original or print a look-alike. Pin down what is missing: the COR, the "Ask for Receipt" notice, or a branch certificate; a new store or branch with no certificate is an outdated registration, not a replacement. See our full guide.
It's BIR deadline day and eFPS or eBIRForms is down, or a holiday was suddenly declared. What do I do?+
Do not hit refresh; screenshot first: the error page with date and time visible, any official outage notice and every step you attempted. Then try the fallback channels immediately. File the moment the system returns, attaching the record of what you tried; penalty relief follows the BIR's current rules. Consult a licensed lawyer on your case; this is not legal advice. See our full guide.
BIR staff watched my store and now sent a notice saying my sales don't match my returns. What do I do?+
Reply in writing within the deadline on the notice; neither ignore it nor settle it informally. Reconcile day by day using sales records, invoice stubs and your operating calendar, and check that the period, store and tax number cited are yours. Do not phone the officer named to "talk it over". Consult a licensed lawyer on your case; this is not legal advice. See our full guide.
My company has been paying cash without invoices. Can I still book those purchases for tax?+
Start from the reality: without a valid invoice, input VAT is generally not creditable, and deducting the cost depends on solid, genuine evidence. Have your accountant list every cash purchase, sort them by how well each is documented, and estimate the tax impact. You may gather lawful evidence and ask real suppliers to invoice properly; never buy invoices or back-date anything. See our full guide.
Former Accountant Won't Hand Over Your BIR eFPS or ORUS Account?+
Your BIR e-filing accounts belong to the company as taxpayer, not to the accountant. Protect this period's filing first, then ask your RDO to reset the account and registered email under company authority, and demand a written handover. See our full guide.
Invoices running out before the new Authority to Print arrives?+
Two rules: do not stop invoicing, and do not fill the gap with non-compliant invoices. Unauthorised, expired or other branches' booklets may all be rejected. Estimate early, apply early and chase the request; if you do run out, confirm the interim practice in writing with your registered revenue office and record every sale. See our full guide.
Company registered under two TINs, or someone used your identity for a TIN: how to fix it?+
Do not file or pay under the extra number yet. Find out who registered each number, at which RDO and why. A duplicate company TIN is your own legacy issue: pick the main one, cancel the other and merge records. Identity misuse is someone else's offence: report it and notify the tax office in writing that the business is not yours. Consult a licensed lawyer on your case; this is not legal advice. See our full guide.
Tax withheld from pay but not remitted and no 2316: what should employees do?+
The duty to remit sits with the employer as withholding agent, so you should not pay twice. But checks run against your TIN, so reconcile payslips with bank credits, confirm your TIN registration and ask the company in writing for your 2316 and proof of remittance. If ignored, go to both the tax bureau and the labour department. Consult a licensed lawyer on your case; this is not legal advice. See our full guide.
Year-end inventory count does not match the books: how to report honestly to the BIR?+
Investigate first, adjust second, report last. Overwriting the book figure with the counted figure and submitting it is the most common and most dangerous shortcut. Find whether the gap comes from recording errors, shrinkage, theft or valuation, make compliant adjustments with support, then file the inventory list, ideally reviewed by an accountant. See our full guide.
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