{"id":3661,"date":"2026-01-27T08:30:33","date_gmt":"2026-01-27T08:30:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/coopchamberph.org\/?p=3661"},"modified":"2026-01-27T08:30:33","modified_gmt":"2026-01-27T08:30:33","slug":"ensuring-fairness-in-reform-coop-sector-seeks-inclusion-in-tax-policy-dialogues-as-bir-resumes-audits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/coopchamberph.org\/?p=3661","title":{"rendered":"\u200bENSURING FAIRNESS IN REFORM: Coop Sector Seeks Inclusion in Tax Policy Dialogues as BIR Resumes Audits"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

PRESS STATEMENT
<\/strong>For Immediate Release
January 27, 2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n


\u200bThe Philippine Chamber of Cooperatives, Inc. (Coop Chamber) welcomes the Department of Finance and the Bureau of Internal Revenue’s (BIR) efforts to streamline tax administration through the “BIR D.A.R.E.S.” agenda and the upcoming resumption of audits in Q1 2026. We support the government’s goal of efficient tax collection to fund nation-building.

\u200bHowever, we respectfully express concern that recent policy consultations have primarily involved the private corporate sector, represented by organizations such as the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), while the Cooperative sector has yet to be afforded a similar seat at the table.

\u200bDistinct Nature, Distinct Representation
<\/strong>We recognize the vital role of the PCCI in articulating the concerns of profit-oriented enterprises. However, Cooperatives operate under a fundamentally different legal framework (Republic Act 9520). We are service-oriented organizations mandated by the Constitution to promote social justice, with specific tax privileges designed to support marginalized members.

\u200bPolicies and audit parameters calibrated solely for commercial corporations may inadvertently harm cooperatives if our unique operational context is not considered. A “one-size-fits-all” approach risks treating legitimate, tax-exempt cooperative surpluses as taxable income, leading to potential friction and unnecessary administrative burdens.

\u200bThe Risk of “Data-Driven” Misinterpretation
<\/strong>We specifically seek clarification on the new “risk-based” audit selection criteria. In a standard corporate setting, high revenue with low tax payable is often a red flag. For a compliant Cooperative, however, this is the norm due to our statutory exemptions.

\u200bWithout input from the cooperative sector, there is a risk that automated audit algorithms might flag compliant cooperatives as “high risk,” triggering Letters of Authority (LOA) against organizations that are merely following the law.

\u200bA Call for Collaborative Partnership
<\/strong>The Cooperative sector has always been a partner of the State in grassroots development and poverty alleviation. To ensure the successful and just implementation of the BIR’s new reforms, we urgently appeal for:

1. \u200bInclusive Dialogue: We respectfully request the BIR to include the Coop Chamber and our associate Federations and Unions in high-level consultations regarding tax policies and audit guidelines.
2. \u200bSector-Specific Context: We seek a dialogue to discuss how the “BIR D.A.R.E.S.” program will apply to holders of Certificates of Tax Exemption (CTE), ensuring that audit parameters reflect the legal realities of cooperatives.

\u200bWe stand ready to work with the Bureau and our counterparts in the private sector to ensure a tax regime that is not only efficient but also equitable for all.
\u200b

\u200bContact Person:<\/strong>
\u200bEDWIN A. BUSTILLOS<\/strong>
Secretary General, Philippine Chamber of Cooperatives, Inc.
Mobile No. 0917 801 7309<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

PRESS STATEMENTFor Immediate ReleaseJanuary 27, 2026 \u200bThe Philippine Chamber of Cooperatives, Inc. (Coop Chamber) welcomes the Department of Finance and the Bureau of Internal Revenue’s (BIR) efforts to streamline tax administration through the “BIR D.A.R.E.S.” agenda and the upcoming resumption of audits in Q1 2026. We support the government’s goal of efficient tax collection to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3467,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3661","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","entry","has-media"],"rttpg_featured_image_url":{"full":["https:\/\/coopchamberph.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/coop-chamber-logo-for-website__-1.png",1728,288,false],"landscape":["https:\/\/coopchamberph.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/coop-chamber-logo-for-website__-1.png",1728,288,false],"portraits":["https:\/\/coopchamberph.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/coop-chamber-logo-for-website__-1.png",1728,288,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/coopchamberph.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/coop-chamber-logo-for-website__-1-150x150.png",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/coopchamberph.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/coop-chamber-logo-for-website__-1-300x50.png",300,50,true],"large":["https:\/\/coopchamberph.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/coop-chamber-logo-for-website__-1-1024x171.png",1024,171,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/coopchamberph.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/coop-chamber-logo-for-website__-1-1536x256.png",1536,256,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/coopchamberph.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/coop-chamber-logo-for-website__-1.png",1728,288,false],"ocean-thumb-m":["https:\/\/coopchamberph.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/coop-chamber-logo-for-website__-1-600x288.png",600,288,true],"ocean-thumb-ml":["https:\/\/coopchamberph.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/coop-chamber-logo-for-website__-1-800x288.png",800,288,true],"ocean-thumb-l":["https:\/\/coopchamberph.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/coop-chamber-logo-for-website__-1-1200x288.png",1200,288,true]},"rttpg_author":{"display_name":"PhChamberCoop","author_link":"https:\/\/coopchamberph.org\/?author=1"},"rttpg_comment":0,"rttpg_category":"News<\/a>","rttpg_excerpt":"PRESS STATEMENTFor Immediate ReleaseJanuary 27, 2026 \u200bThe Philippine Chamber of Cooperatives, Inc. (Coop Chamber) welcomes the Department of Finance and the Bureau of Internal Revenue’s (BIR) efforts to streamline tax administration through the “BIR D.A.R.E.S.” agenda and the upcoming resumption of audits in Q1 2026. We support the government’s goal of efficient tax collection to…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/coopchamberph.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3661","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/coopchamberph.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/coopchamberph.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coopchamberph.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coopchamberph.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3661"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/coopchamberph.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3661\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3662,"href":"https:\/\/coopchamberph.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3661\/revisions\/3662"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coopchamberph.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3467"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/coopchamberph.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3661"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coopchamberph.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3661"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/coopchamberph.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3661"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}