P50B license fees collected from 70 legal online gambling platforms in 2024 –PAGCOR
Other Relevant Tax Updates:
- TAX & BUSINESS-RELATED NEWS [JULY 4-10]
- BIR CIRCULARIZES BOC GUIDELINES ON VAT COLLECTION FOR LOCAL SALES UNDER CREATE MORE AND REVENUE REGULATIONS NO. 09-2025
- BIR CLARIFIES THAT SWORN STATEMENT FOR VAT ZERO-RATING IS NO LONGER REQUIRED SUBJECT TO POST AUDIT
- DOJ OPINION ON RIGHT OF WAY
I. TAX & BUSINESS-RELATED NEWS [JULY 4-10]
- Trump issues letters to the Philippines, other countries in push for tariff deals
- PCA approves Chemrez’s organic cocolisap solution
- MOL, Kinetics to partner for world’s first floating data center
- UP studying proposal to refine the criteria for Latin honors
- Starting July 1, pickups no longer exempt from excise tax
- Popeyes opens franchising to tap demand in Philippines
- 17 bets for ombudsman face JBC screening
- P50B license fees collected from 70 legal online gambling platforms in 2024 –PAGCOR
- Some hospitals hesitating to accept guarantee letters: group
- CA rules in favor of BIR in cigarette tax evasion case
- Four mining firms invest to replant Cagayan Valley
- PEZA receives interest from potential UK locators
- SC: Salaries of public officials may be garnished
- CLI sells P4.3B solar-ready GenSan homes in just 3 days from launch
- Filinvest sugar mill hits 1M MT mileston
II. BIR CIRCULARIZES BOC GUIDELINES ON VAT COLLECTION FOR LOCAL SALES UNDER CREATE MORE AND REVENUE REGULATIONS NO. 09-2025
Revenue Memorandum Circular (RMC) No. 067-2025, issued on July 3, 2025, circularizes Customs Memorandum Circular No. 113-2025, which implements Revenue Regulations (RR) No. 09-2025 pursuant to Section 295(D) of the National Internal Revenue Code (NIRC), as amended by Section 18 of the CREATE MORE Act (RA No. 12066). The Circular clarifies that sales of goods or services by Registered Business Enterprises (RBEs) to Domestic Market Enterprises or non-RBEs are now considered local sales subject to Value-Added Tax (VAT), which falls under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) rather than the Bureau of Customs (BOC). To facilitate the release of goods from customs, RBEs must present BIR Form No. 0605 as proof of VAT payment. This form must appear valid and not visibly counterfeit. Once presented, the BOC shall allow the release of the goods but must transmit the submitted form and supporting documents, such as invoices, to the BIR via electronic mail for post-verification and post-audit purposes. However, the BOC remains responsible for collecting other applicable duties, taxes (excluding VAT), and fees on imported raw materials or components of finished goods that were previously exempted or deferred at the time of importation. The required duties and taxes must be paid upon withdrawal of the goods from free zones to customs territory, following Section 105 of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (RA No. 10863), which mandates that the applicable duty rates shall be those in effect at the time of withdrawal. Lastly, the Circular directs all BIR and BOC personnel to disseminate this guidance widely within their respective offices and submit confirmation of compliance within 15 days from receipt.
III. BIR CLARIFIES THAT SWORN STATEMENT FOR VAT ZERO-RATING IS NO LONGER REQUIRED SUBJECT TO POST AUDIT
Revenue Memorandum Circular (RMC) No. 66-2025 provides clarification regarding the requirement for a sworn declaration by a Registered Business Enterprise (RBE)-buyer when availing of the zero percent (0%) VAT rate on local purchases of goods and services. Under Revenue Memorandum Circular (RMC) No. 80-2023, such a declaration was required to confirm that the purchased goods and/or services were directly and exclusively used for the production of export goods or completion of export services and had to be submitted to the local supplier for documentation in case of post-audit by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR). However, in light of Revenue Regulations (RR) No. 16-2005, as amended by RR No. 10-2025, it is now clarified that the availment of VAT zero-rating on local purchases of goods and services shall be based solely on the VAT Zero-Rate Certification issued by the concerned Investment Promotion Agency (IPA). This certification serves as the primary documentary requirement. Nevertheless, this does not limit the BIR’s authority to conduct post-audit verification to confirm that the goods or services are indeed directly attributable to the registered project or activity of the qualified RBE. Accordingly, the submission of a sworn declaration by the RBE-buyer is no longer required.
IV. DOJ OPINION ON RIGHT OF WAY
[EXISTENCE OF DOUBLE TITLING/REGISTRATION CREATES LEGAL UNCERTAINTY & POTENTIAL CONFLICTS BETWEEN CLAIMANTS] [OWNERS OF REAL PROPERTY SHALL BE ENTITLED TO JUST COMPENSATION FOR PROPERTY ACQUIRED FOR NATIONAL GOVERNMENT INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS]
The Secretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is seeking an opinion on the Right-Of-Way (ROW) claim of Solid Megatrends Enterprises, Inc. for its property affected by the improvement of National Road along the Talisay-Laurel-Agoncillo Road in Maharlika, Tagaytay City. As represented, the Sandigan Bayan, on December 14, 2015, promulgated its Decision ordering the estate of Alfonso Lim. Sr. to return and reconvey to the Republic of the Philippines (RoP) the parcel of land covered by Transfer Certificate of Title (TCT) No. 315. Given this, the Registrar of Deeds for Tagaytay City cancelled TCT No. 315 and issued TCT No. 076-2022001437 under the name of RoP. Shortly after, the DPWH Batangas III District Engineering Office (DEO) utilized the property for the project’s construction. However, the newly issued TCT in the name of RoP was cancelled for being a derivative title of TCT No. 315, by virtue of the decision of the Supreme Court in G.R. No. 183548 dated December 7, 2009, which granted the petition filed by Congressman Magsino on behalf of several private individuals recognizing their entitlement to the land covered by TCT No. 315. In reply, the Department of Justice (DOJ) stated that it cannot act on the request as the matter involves a determination that would affect private rights. Nonetheless, for information and guidance only, the DOJ noted that the present issue faced by the DPWH seems to involve double titling or double registration which occurs when two (2) certificates of title are issued for the same parcel of land. The DOJ, without pre-empting any legal actions that may take place to settle this issue, and based on the representations and documents provided, is of the view that the party represented by Magsino appears to have the stronger claim to the property. This is primarily in view of the Supreme Court’s decision declaring TCT No. 315 and any titles emanating from it null and void, which applies in this case. Moreover, the DOJ suggested focusing on Republic Act No. 10752, or the “The Right-of-Way Act”, which governs the State’s exercise of eminent domain to uphold the Constitutional mandate that private property shall not be taken for public use without just compensation, regardless of who is entitled to receive it. [DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE OPINION NO. 15, SERIES OF 2025, JUNE 13, 2025]
Trump issues letters to the Philippines, other countries in push for tariff deals [ABS-CBN News, July 10, 2025]
The letters, addressed to leaders of the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Brunei, Algeria, Libya, Iraq and Moldova, spelled out duties ranging from 20 percent to 30 percent that would take effect on August 1.
PCA approves Chemrez’s organic cocolisap solution [The Philippine Star, July 10, 2025]
The Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) has approved an organic solution developed by Chemrez Technologies Inc., a subsidiary of D&L Industries, against the coconut scale insect (CSI), also known as cocolisap.
MOL, Kinetics to partner for world’s first floating data center [The Manila Times, July 9, 2025]
The floating data center is designed to overcome limitations of land-based facilities, such as land scarcity, power shortages, and prolonged permitting timelines. By combining mobile power generation with MOL’s maritime expertise, the platform offers a scalable, mobile, and rapidly deployable alternative for data center infrastructure.
UP studying proposal to refine the criteria for Latin honors [The Philippine Star, July 8, 2025]
This comes as a response to concerns regarding the surge of graduates receiving Latin honors. For Academic Year 2024-2025 in UP Diliman, 2,369 out of 3,876 graduates (61%) received Latin honors. Among them, 241 graduated summa cum laude, 1,143 magna cum laude, and 985 cum laude.
https://philstarlife.com/news-and-views/229231-up-studying-proposal-refine-criteria-latin-honors
Starting July 1, pickups no longer exempt from excise tax [Philippine Daily Inquirer, July 8, 2025]
Section 18 of CMEPA amended the provision of the National Internal Revenue Code that exempts pickups, along with purely electric vehicles, from the tax that reaches up to 50 percent, depending on the net selling price of the unit.
https://business.inquirer.net/534538/starting-july-1-pickups-no-longer-exempt-from-excise-tax
Popeyes opens franchising to tap demand in Philippines [BusinessWorld, July 8, 2025]
Restaurant Brands International (RBI), the multinational fastfood holding company that owns Popeyes, said the Philippines is the world’s leading Popeyes market by transactions.
17 bets for ombudsman face JBC screening [The Manila Times, July 8, 2025]
The contenders include Supreme Court Associate Justice Samuel Gaerlan, former Bureau of Internal Revenue chief Kim Henares, Philippine Competition Commission Chairman and former Commission on Audit chairman Michael Aguinaldo, Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice Geraldine Econg, and Commission on Human Rights Commissioner Beda Epres.
P50B license fees collected from 70 legal online gambling platforms in 2024 –PAGCOR [GMA News Online, July 8, 2025]
Tengco said there were hundreds of illegal online gambling platforms operating from outside the country and targeting Filipinos, which was destroying the online gaming industry.
Some hospitals hesitating to accept guarantee letters: group [ABS-CBN News, July 7, 2025]
Guarantee letters are issued by governors, senators, congressmen and other government officials to help patients pay for their hospital bills through funding from the Department of Health, in lieu of submitting promissory notes, PHAPI president Dr. Jose Rene De Grano noted.
CA rules in favor of BIR in cigarette tax evasion case [BusinessWorld, July 7, 2025]
In a statement, the BIR said the estimated tax deficiency of P796.95 million was generated following seizures from two facilities in San Rafael, Bulacan and Valenzuela City.
Four mining firms invest to replant Cagayan Valley [The Manila Times, July 7, 2025]
The mining companies mentioned include OceanaGold Philippines Inc., a Canadian firm that operates the Didipio Mine in Kasibu, Nueva Vizcaya; FCF Minerals Corp., a British company running the Runruno Gold Project in Quezon, Nueva Vizcaya; Dinapigue Mining Corp., located in the coastal town of Dinapigue in Isabela; and JDVC Resources Corp., which operates in the coastal towns of Cagayan province.
PEZA receives interest from potential UK locators [BusinessWorld, July 6, 2025]
The participants in the roundtable meetings include Tech West England Advocates, SparQ International, Santander UK, the UK Department for Business and Trade, and the British Chambers of Commerce.
SC: Salaries of public officials may be garnished [GMA News Online, July 4, 2025]
In a 9-page decision, the SC Third Division ruled that the salary of a Baguio city councilor may be garnished to pay his debt to another individual.
CLI sells P4.3B solar-ready GenSan homes in just 3 days from launch [Philippine Daily Inquirer, July 4, 2025]
Property developer Cebu Landmasters Inc. (CLI) saw strong demand for its first solar power-ready housing project, with P4.3 billion in reservation sales generated from General Santos in just three days after launch.
Filinvest sugar mill hits 1M MT milestone [Philippine Daily Inquirer, July 4, 2025]
In a statement on Thursday, Filinvest said its subsidiary, Cotabato Sugar Central Co. Inc., exceeded its target output by 42 percent following long-term modernization efforts.
https://business.inquirer.net/533952/filinvest-sugar-mill-hits-1m-mt-milestone
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