A move is underway in the Senate to lower the value-added tax (VAT) imposed on purchased goods and services. Under Senate Bill No. 1552 filed by Senator Erwin Tulfo, Section 106 of the National Internal Revenue Code would be amended to bring down the current 12 percent VAT to 10 percent. The...
DAVAO CITY – Davao City Representatives Paolo Duterte and his son Omar Vincent Duterte have filed House Bill No. 5645 – Value-Added Tax Social Transfer for Indigent Citizens Act of 2025 – to ease the economic burden on the country’s poorest families. According to the Dutertes, HB No. 5645...
President Marcos’ chief economic manager stated that reducing the current 12-percent value-added tax (VAT) rate could weaken the government’s ability to fund operating expenses, such as personnel wages, as it would result in lower tax collections. Finance Secretary Ralph G. Recto said in an...
Reducing the value-added tax (VAT) to 10 percent from the current 12 percent would erode the government’s fiscal consolidation, with total revenues expected to decline by an average of ₱330 billion annually, or one percent of the country’s economic output. “From our estimates, the reduction...
Compliance is high among foreign digital giants, as the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) reported strong initial collections from the value-added tax (VAT) on digital services. Total tax haul from the imposition of the 12-percent consumption levy on digital services in June has reached ₱2.8...
Senator Rodante Marcoleta has filed a bill seeking to remove the 12 percent value-added tax (VAT) on the sale of electricity at all stages, in an effort to lower power rates and alleviate the financial burden on Filipino households and businesses. “The Philippines remains to be one of the...
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has endorsed 10 additional drug products for inclusion in the Bureau of Internal Revenue’s (BIR) list of Value-Added Tax (VAT)-exempt medicines. In FDA Advisory No. 2025-0510 issued on June 4, the agency identified the newly endorsed products, which include...
The Philippine Rural Electric Cooperatives Association, Inc. (PHILRECA) has expressed its support for the proposal to eliminate the multiple value-added tax (VAT) on electricity, which is expected to result in lower power rates for consumers. In a statement on Thursday, May 22, PHILRECA said the...
The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has introduced simplified procedures for value-added tax (VAT) refund claims, as part of its implementation of the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) MORE Act. Detailed in Revenue Memorandum Circular (RMC) No. 37-2025, the changes aim...
PSAC Lead Convenor and Aboitiz Group President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Sabin Aboitiz The Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC) said the implementation of a value-added tax (VAT) refund system is poised to be a “game-changer” for the country’s tourism industry, driving...
Finance Secretary Ralph G. Recto The Philippines has officially launched a value-added tax (VAT) refund system for foreign tourists, aiming to significantly boost tourism revenue by encouraging increased spending on local goods. According to the Department of Finance (DOF), the refund scheme...
Camarines Sur 2nd district Rep. LRay Villafuerte (Rep. Villafuerte's office) Camarines Sur 2nd district Rep. LRay Villafuerte is prodding the concerned agencies to go full blast in crafting the Value Added Tax (VAT) refund system for the local...
