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Finance & BudgetSocial Welfare
BillSBN-28120th Congress

Amending Sections of the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997

In committee Filed Jul 8, 2025
◷ Where it standsIn Committee
FiledCommittee2nd Reading3rd ReadingBicamEnacted

Filed on July 8, 2025, and referred to the Committee on Ways and Means; it has been pending in committee since then with no recorded action.

Should you care?
Relevance to you
Moderate

This bill impacts the legal framework for tax enforcement in the Philippines.

TaxpayersBureau of Internal RevenueDepartment of FinanceLegal professionals
Timeliness
Routine

The bill addresses ongoing issues in tax enforcement but does not respond to an immediate crisis.

Affects you ifTaxpayersBureau of Internal Revenue staffDepartment of Finance officialsLegal practitioners in tax cases
Impact assessment
AI read — verify with source
Overall impact
6.1/ 10
Long title

Amending Sections of the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997

Plain-language summary
AI Summary

This bill amends the National Internal Revenue Code to give the Bureau of Internal Revenue exclusive authority over tax-related cases, removing the Department of Justice's role in these prosecutions.

What this bill actually requires
RequiresBureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to have exclusive jurisdiction over tax-related cases.
ⓘ AI-generated — verify with the source.↗ Official Senate PDF
What changes from current law

Compared with current law:

Today

Tax-related cases can involve both BIR and DOJ.

This bill

Only BIR will handle tax-related cases.

ⓘ AI-generated comparison — verify against the bill and the cited law.
Ask this bill

This bill gives the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) exclusive authority to investigate, prosecute, and handle all tax-related cases, removing the Department of Justice's involvement. This means that all tax cases will be managed solely by the BIR.

Source · full text
Issue areas
Finance & BudgetSocial WelfareTaxpayersBureau of Internal Revenuelegal professionalsDepartment of Financetax enforcement

✦ Dashed tags are AI-suggested nuance; solid tags follow the committee taxonomy.

Legislative history
Jul 8, 2025Senate
Introduced by Senator FRANCIS "CHIZ" G. ESCUDERO;
Aug 5, 2025Senate
Read on First Reading and Referred to the Committee on WAYS AND MEANS;
✦ AI insight

Stalled: the bill has sat in the committee for over two months with no action since its referral on August 5, 2025.

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Floor activity

No floor deliberations yet — this measure has not reached plenary. Its committee-stage actions appear under Legislative history above.

Full text
SBN-281 — verbatim textAs filed

TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE ) REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES ) First Regular Session 25 JUL -8 P6:05 SENATE RI CA S. No. _ Introduced by Senator Francis G. Escudero AN ACT AMENDING SECTION 220, CHAPTER II, TITLE VIII OF THE NATIONAL INTERNAL REVENUE CODE OF 1997, AS AMENDED EXPLANATORY NOTE This bill mandates the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to acquire and have exclusive jurisdiction over all tax-related cases, thereby doing away with the participation of the Department of Justice (DOJ) in the prosecution of said cases. This proposed measure hastens the delineation of responsibilities in the tax collections efforts of the government, making accountability solely in the hands of the BIR. Lastly, it complements Republic Act No. 9282 which expands the jurisdiction of the Court of Tax Appeals by mandating all civil and criminal actions in tax related cases cognizable by the said court. In view of the foregoing, passage of this bill with dispatch is sought. FRANCIS G. ESCUDERO

TWENTIETH CONGRESS OF THE ) REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES First Regular Session 25 JUL -8 P6:05 SENATE S. No. _ Introduced by Senator Francis G. Escudero AN ACT AMENDING SECTION 220, CHAPTER II, TITLE VIII OF THE NATIONAL INTERNAL REVENUE CODE OF 1997, AS AMENDED Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assemble

Section 1. Section 6 of the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997, is hereby

amended to read as follows: "Sec. 220. [Form and Mode of] Proceeding in Actions Arising under this Code. - Civil and criminal actions and proceedings instituted in behalf of the Government under the authority of this Code or other law enforced by the Bureau of Internal Revenue shall be brought in the name of the Government of the Philippines and shall be [conducted] INVESTIGATED, PROSECUTED AND HANDLED EXCLUSIVELY by legal officers of the Bureau of Internal Revenue but no civil or criminal action for the recovery of taxes or the enforcement of any fine, penalty or forfeiture under this Code shall be filed in court without the approval of the Commissioner. "THE BUREAU OF INTERNAL REVENUE SHALL HAVE THE EXCLUSIVE AUTHORITY TO FILE ANY CIVIL OR CRIMINAL ACTION DIRECTLY IN THE PROPER COURT: PROVIDED, THAT, THE DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE SHALL HAVE AUTOMATIC

REVIEW OVER EVERY CRIMINAL ACTION BEFORE IT IS FILED IN COURT."

Sec. 2. Repealing Clause. - All laws, presidential decrees, executive orders,

rules and regulations, or parts thereof which are inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, amended, or modified accordingly.

Sec. 3. Effectivity. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its

publication in the Official Gazette or at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. Approved,

Reproduced from the Senate document. The official PDF is the authoritative version.