Failure to Withhold EWT: Why Expenses Get Disallowed During BIR Audits
In Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) tax audits, some of the most expensive findings do not begin with fraud or aggressive tax planning. They begin with something quieter — a missing withholding tax on an otherwise legitimate expense. A company pays a consultant, records the cost, and deducts it in good faith. Months or years […]
Filing Guidelines for 2025 Annual Income Tax Returns
The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has issued Revenue Memorandum Circular (RMC) No. 020-2026, dated March 16, 2026, prescribing the procedures for filing Annual Income Tax Returns (AITR) and payment of taxes for calendar year 2025. The filing deadline is April 15, 2026. This circular enforces the Ease of Paying Taxes Act (Republic Act No. […]
The Tax Reality of Filipinos with Multiple Employers or Side Businesses
The Hidden Complexity Behind Modern Income The modern Filipino professional rarely fits the old template of “one employer, one paycheck, one tax form.” An accounting officer resigns in April and joins another company in May. A corporate employee quietly runs an online shop on weekends. A part-time virtual assistant caters to U.S.-based clients after finishing […]
Navigating RR 1-2026: Clarifying Provisions for VAT on Local Sales of RBEs
Revenue Regulations (RR) No. 9-2025, issued on February 27, 2025, implements Section 295(D) or the VAT provisions of Republic Act No. 12066 (CREATE MORE Act) concerning the tax treatment of local sales of goods and/or services by Registered Business Enterprises (RBEs). Under this regulation, all local sales by RBEs are subject to 12% VAT, regardless […]
Less Tax, More Ginhawa: A Guide to Senate Bill No. 56 “Granting Increase in Take-Home Pay for All Working Filipinos Act”
A recently passed measure under Senate Bill No. 56 (or its House equivalent – House Bill No. 2616), also known as the “Granting Increase in Take-Home Pay for All Working Filipinos Act” or the GINHAWA Bill, as introduced by Senator Win Gatchalian, seeks to enhance the progressivity of the Philippine tax system by introducing more […]
Charity with Clarity: What the BIR’s New Circular Means for Cash Donations
When people think of taxes, they rarely think of charity. Donations are often seen as acts of goodwill that exist outside the formal machinery of government revenue. Yet in practice, charitable giving and tax administration are closely intertwined. The recent issuance of Revenue Memorandum Circular (RMC) No. 010-2026 by the Bureau of Internal Revenue underscores […]
RMC No. 014-2026 and RMO No. 006-2026: Clarifying the BIR’s New Audit Framework
Tax rules are often written in a language that seems designed to test the patience of even the most diligent reader. Acronyms multiply, procedures overlap, and somewhere between audit notices and revenue issuances, the ordinary taxpayer is left asking a simple question: What exactly does this mean for me? That is what makes Revenue Memorandum […]
Clearing the Slate: Tax Amnesty until July 5, 2026 under the RPVARA Law (RA No. 12001)
Republic Act No. 12001, otherwise known as the Real Property Valuation and Assessment Reform Act (RPVARA), institutionalizes a unified, fair, and equitable real property valuation system in the Philippines. As a transition measure, the law provides for a Tax Amnesty Program to encourage taxpayers to settle outstanding real property tax (RPT) liabilities and clean up […]
PEZA M.C. 2025-051 adopts standardized CETI format
PEZA issues M.C. 2025-052 to clarify VAT Zero-Rating for Goods & Services
Philippine Economic Zone Authority Memorandum Circular No. 2025-052 turns the CREATE MORE Act’s broad VAT promises into a working playbook: it defines what counts as “directly attributable” to a registered project or activity and, therefore, qualifies for VAT exemption on importation and VAT zero-rating on local purchases for PEZA-registered export and high-value domestic market enterprises. […]
