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The year 2016 will be a period in history when we see the changing of the guards. We should be ready for the new administration at the end of next month. And in a parallel world of corporate finance, the listed or public companies in the country shall witness changes in their Independent Directors (IDs) if they start implementing the new rules regarding these officials. In December 2011, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued Memorandum Circular (MC) 9, which, among others, limits the term of the independent directors to a total of 10 years, with two years of a “cooling-off” period between two terms of five consecutive years for listed, public and mutual fund companies. As 2016 is the fifth year of effectivity for the Circular, we should start seeing its implementation in the coming months.

With the conclusion of the 2016 Presidential elections yesterday, will Filipinos’ hopes for lower income taxes finally see light under the new administration? Despite the growing clamor of the public and endorsements of income tax cuts from both houses of the Congress and business groups, the current administration stood firm against these reforms.

Going through audited financial statements nowadays is like reading through a long technical paper. It has become more difficult for management to prepare, more cumbersome for auditors to audit, and more complicated for users to understand for their management and investment decisions.

As a private business owner, growth opportunities present themselves virtually every day. The thing is, not all of these growth opportunities are financially feasible. It’s essential, therefore, to reserve your time and resources for the opportunities that have the greatest chance of propelling your business forward—and to find the right funding partner to make those opportunities a reality. By following these three steps, you have a better chance of achieving just that.

In every relationship, the parties involved need to agree to achieve a harmonious relationship. The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and the taxpayer are no exception. An assessment has to be formally issued within three years from the due date or date filing of the tax return, whichever is later. In case the three-year period is not sufficient, the taxpayer and the BIR may agree in writing to extend the three-year period for assessment pursuant to Section 222 of the Tax Code. The taxpayer executes a Waiver of the Statute of Limitation which is accepted by the BIR.

McKinsey & Company, a worldwide management consulting firm that conducts qualitative and quantitative analyses in order to help businesses evaluate management decisions, found that an unhappy customer tells between 9 and 15 people about his or her experience. In fact, 13 percent of unhappy customers tell more than 20 people about their experience. The challenge for us then is: how do you get the pulse of your customers before they tell others about their bad experience? The common method used to measure such pulse is usually the client satisfaction survey (CSS). But how effective are these surveys, especially for professional services firms?

It is barely two weeks to the May 9 elections. For months, we have been hearing many promises from the presidential candidates, and it cannot be denied that one of the things that might win over a voter is a candidate’s take on tax reform. To be sure, tax reform is one of many aspects of governance that a president needs to consider, apart from fighting crime and corruption, defending sovereign territory, and growing the economy, to name a few. But what makes many of these initiatives possible is a well-managed treasury, funded by the taxes we pay. Therefore presidential candidates really ought to speak more about what they plan to do with the tax system.

How should a company go about choosing an external auditor? What factors must it consider in deciding whether a CPA would be able to perform a good audit? The answer to these questions depends on the value that management and the other users place on the audited financial statements. Is audit just needed for regulatory compliance and submission to government agencies? Is it obtained because banks and creditors require it? At face value, these maybe the obvious reasons why businesses undergo an audit. However, good governance and best practices on financial management requires for a good audit to be performed as it attests to the fairness of the information contained in the financial statements and disclosures issued by the company.