Supreme Court stops BIR regulation on doctors

MANILA, Philippines — The Supreme Court issued a temporary restraining order on a Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) resolution ordering doctors to submit detailed documents on their professional fees.

In an en banc decision on Tuesday, the magistrates moved to stop BIR's "Guidelines and Policies for Monitoring of Service Fees of Professionals" on doctors.

Under the assailed BIR guidelines, doctors are obliged to annually submit an affidavit detailing their collection of service fees, register their books of accounts and books of official appointments and issue receipts registered with the bureau.

Earlier, the Philippine College of Physicians challenged the BIR's new requirements on medical professionals, citing some of its possible constitutional violations.

The ruling followed a similar decision on the same resolution stopping the bureau from requiring lawyers to submit affidavits indicating legal rates, manner of billings and written justification for such fees annually.

Also read: SC stops BIR's new requirements for lawyers