The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has instructed manufacturers, importers and dealers of selected prescription drugs and medicines exempted from value-added tax (VAT) to get the Authority to Import Goods (ATRIG) from the revenue district office (RDO) having jurisdiction over the port of entry.
The latest Revenue Memorandum Order No. 25-2020 amended RMO 23-2020 that required dealers of the drugs to secure the said tax clearance only at the Intramuros, Manila RDO where the South Harbor is located.
BIR Commissioner Caesar Dulay issued the memorandum to further simplify the process of getting the ATRIG.
The BIR exempted from 12-percent VAT selected prescription drugs and medicines to lower the cost.
"The RDO shall process the ATRIG applications for drugs included in the list of medicines issued by the Department of Health," the memorandum stated.
The VAT-exempt items covered drugs for diabetes, high cholesterol, hypertension, cancer, mental illness, tuberculosis and kidney diseases.