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Have you ever purchased something and ended up paying too much for it, only to find out that the retailer won't refund the difference? How do you feel about being stuck with the extra cost? Thankfully, that is not the case for taxpayers with excess creditable withholding taxes (CWT).

Foreign investors choose the Philippines to invest their excess money for various reasons, which include the country’s strategic location providing the investors proximity to its major markets, consistent fast economic growth in the region, a large demographic of young, English-speaking, and highly skilled workers, and generous fiscal and non-fiscal incentives from the government, among other things.

Generally, VAT-registered persons subject their sales to VAT. The next question is, when should the sales be subject to VAT? Republic Act No. 11976, also known as the Ease of Paying Taxes (EOPT) Act, adopted the accrual basis for VAT recognition for both the sale of goods and services.

One such notable change in the current tax rules is Republic Act No. 11976, or the “Ease of Paying Taxes Act” (EOPT). The new law changed the procedures for claiming tax refunds of excess creditable withholding taxes.

One example is that multinational companies that are using CAS globally spend significant cost for the reconfiguration of their CAS in order to comply with the rules of the Philippines. Since these rules are not required by other tax authorities in other countries, the reconfiguration is done solely for the Philippines.

On 13 June 2024, President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. signed Republic Act No. 12001, or the Real Property Valuation and Assessment Reform Act (RPVARA), into law. This new piece of legislation aims to upgrade tax collection efficiency in the realm of real property taxation. The new law also aims to reorganize the Bureau of Local Government Finance (BLGF) as the sole agency responsible for streamlining and establishing real property zonal values and their respective tax rates.

When it comes to corruption perception, the Philippines has remained on the lower end of the spectrum as compared to other countries. Unfortunately, some taxpayers use this perception as an excuse or even a justification for having a mindset that there is no need to pay the correct taxes.

On June 13, the BIR released Revenue Regulations (RR) No. 11-2024, amending the transitory provisions of RR No. 7-2024 and extending the statutory deadlines for compliance with the new Invoicing requirements under the Ease of Paying Taxes (EoPT) Act. RR No. 7-2024 became a key regulation in implementing EoPT, serving as a framework to guide taxpayers in navigating the new Invoicing requirements. While the implementation of EoPT may be challenging, the BIR remains dauntless and patient in addressing taxpayer concerns by releasing timely regulations.