By Jun Ramirez Tax practitioners as well as field officials of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) are asking the House of Representatives (HOR) to scrap certain guidelines in the proposed tax amnesty law to make it more acceptable to individual and business taxpayers contemplating to avail of the privilege. (KJ ROSALES | Manila Bulletin File Photo) The tax amnesty program is included in the second package of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) now being finalized in the House committee on ways and means. A Metro Manila revenue district officer (RDO) suggested that the proposed 50-percent compromise payment under House Bill 7105 should be reduced to make it palatable. He noted that the BIR Commissioner is authorized under Section 203 of the Tax Code to accept 40 percent of outstanding assessment to settle tax debts. "Why avail of the tax amnesty when a taxpayer could compromise his unpaid debts at much lower rate with the revenue commissioner? asked one Metro Manila revenue district officer who declined to be named. The same source said the Statement of Assets Liabilities and Net worth (SALN) that one is required to submit to avail of the amnesty should be relaxed, or liberalized. He said that under the proposed regulations, the BIR is given one year to verify the truthfulness of the SALN. He said SALN should not be given much weight in the investigation of those who availed of the amnesty as it is just a balance sheet that only approximates the assets and periodically changed or altered to reflect the current financial status.