BIR Ruling

July 20, 1966 The University of the Philippines Quezon City Attention: Prof . Niceto S . Poblador School of Economics Gentlemen : Your request for access into the records of the Bureau of Internal Revenue for the purpose of compiling certain financial data from the financial statements of proprietorships and partnerships with net assets plus accumulated depreciation of P100,000 or more is hereby granted under the authority of the President of the Philippines. As divulgence of information regarding the business, income, or inheritance of any taxpayer, the secrets, operation, style of work, or apparatus of any manufacturer or producer is prohibited by Section 347 of the Tax Code, this authority given you is limited to the gathering of data pertaining to each covered taxpayer or the aggregate data pertaining to all of them but without linking or identifying them in name to the data thus gathered. In this connection, it may be stated that, should you effect the publication of the figures you may gather together with the identities of the taxpayers concerned, you may be held criminally liable under Section 349 of the Tax Code which for ready reference is reproduced, viz.: "SEC. 349. Procuring unlawful divulgence of trade secrets . Any person who causes or procures an officer or employee of the Bureau of Internal Revenue to divulge any confidential information regarding the business, income, or inheritance of any taxpayer, knowledge of which was acquired by him in the discharge of his official duties, and which it is unlawful for him to reveal, and any person who publishes or prints in any manner whatever, not provided by law, any income, profits, losses, or expenditures appearing in any income tax return shall be fined in a sum of not more than two thousand pesos or imprisoned for a term of not less than six months nor more than five years, or both." This will serve as authority for all internal revenue officers concerned in allowing you access to the records covered by your request. LLphil Very truly yours, (SGD.) MISAEL P. VERA Commissioner of Internal Revenue