MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has ordered a tax audit of Vice President Sara Duterte, her spouse Manases R. Carpio, and nine business entities linked to the couple.
In a statement on Tuesday, the BIR said it had directed the issuance of Letters of Authority (LOAs) that would allow revenue officers to examine a taxpayer’s books of accounts and other financial records as part of a formal audit investigation.
The Bureau said the move followed a “careful determination” that probable cause exists to warrant a full audit to ensure that correct taxes are collected.
“The end objective of this lawful exercise is to collect the correct taxes due to the government. This will be a rules-based approach in determining the truth,” BIR Commissioner Charlito Martin Mendoza said.
“Rights will be accorded to the audited entities. This will be fully compliant with all Run After Tax Evaders (RATE) protocols, the primary enforcement program of the Bureau for tax evasion and tax fraud,” he added.
