Finance Secretary Frederick Go announced on Monday ''the immediate and temporary suspension of all field audits and related operations of the Bureau of Internal Revenue.''

The Bureau of Internal Revenue said the ''immediate suspension of all field audits and other related operations, including the issuance of Letters of Authority (LOAs) and Mission Orders (MOs), effective immediately.''

''No LOA or MO shall be created, printed, signed, or served during the suspension period,'' a statement by BIR Commissioner Charlito Martin Mendoza said Monday.

Go said in a statement "the Department of Finance is committed to protecting our taxpayers from potential abuse through a comprehensive review of our existing policies and procedures.

This came as Senator Erwin Tulfo filed a resolution asking the Blue Ribbon Committee to look into a reported scheme using the LOAs as a money making venture.

''During this past year on 2024 to 2025, they abused it (using LOAs). So many companies, major corporations, MSME (micro small and medium enterprises), they became milking cows, '' said Tulfo on ANC.

''We want to stop this once and for all because this has been going on for quite a while,'' he added.

Mendoza said the temporary suspension ''applies to all BIR offices involved in audit and field operations, including the Large Taxpayers Service, Revenue Regions and District Offices, Assessment Divisions, VAT Audit Units, and Intelligence and Special Audit Units. ''

''The exceptions to the suspension apply only to urgent or legally mandated cases such as active criminal investigations, one-time transactions, audits prescribing within six months, refund claims that require audits, or immediate action on taxpayers flagged by verified intelligence,'' said Mendoza.

''We take every complaint seriously, and any misuse of authority, harassment, or irregularity has no place in the Bureau,'' said Mendoza. DMS