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Taxpayers may have finally been given two rays of hope by the Court of Tax Appeals when it comes to the applicability of deficiency and delinquency interest in tax assessments. Taxpayers under assessment are often faced with two types of interest under the Tax Code. The first, deficiency interest, is imposed on any deficiency tax due from the date prescribed for its payment until the full payment thereof. The second, delinquency interest, is imposed on the deficiency tax, or any surcharge or interest thereon on the due date appearing in the notice and demand of the BIR. Interest rates for both are at 20%.

When bribery and corruption run rampant within governments, they greatly erode our social fabric—negatively impacting such things as the provision of services such as schools, roads and hospitals, standards of living and global climate change efforts. They are estimated to cost the global economy upwards of one trillion dollars per year. Over the last four years, many countries have been working together to build upon those original 1999 commitments and create stronger anti-corruption and anti-bribery regulations—a step that has resulted in phenomenal progress worldwide. While this is definitely something to celebrate, there is still a lot of work to be done. While many large public corporations have taken the necessary steps, many private businesses in the middle market have not turned their attention to this issue, yet. If you’re a private business owner, it’s time to implement anti-corruption and anti-bribery policies in your organization—if you haven’t already. Getting started doesn’t have to cost you big bucks either. Here are some affordable steps you can take to get the ball rolling.

As an employer, do you know that your obligation goes beyond remitting your employees’ (plus the employer’s) statutory contributions to various government agencies such as the Social Security System (SSS), Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) and Home Development and Mutual Fund (HDMF)?

The countdown has started and taxpayers have barely 4 days before the last day for filing the final adjustment return otherwise known as the Annual Income Tax Return for the taxable year ended December 31, 2015. Specifically, corporate taxpayers are required to file a final adjustment return covering the taxable income for the preceding calendar year on or before the 15th day of April and, likewise, to pay the income tax due thereon at the time the declaration or return is filed in accordance with the provisions of Section 76 and 77 of the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997 (Tax Code), as amended.

statements (FS) in relation to a resolution by the Board of Accountancy (regulator) requiring the submission of a “certificate” by the CPA preparer of the FS, which should be attached to the audited FS filed with the SEC and the BIR. Just for clarification, the FS preparer is a person separate and distinct from the external auditor. There have been continuing developments regarding the resolution but which do not cure the controversies that initially arose. As a long-standing member of the profession, I feel I have a responsibility to continue to express my thoughts on these persisting issues.

As the April 15 deadline for the filing of annual income tax return (ITR) is drawing near, taxpayers shall once again start flocking towards various revenue district offices (RDO) of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR). It is at this point that taxpayers should be reminded of the rules on those required to file electronically rather than manually. For those required to file electronically, the available electronic platforms of the BIR are: (a) Electronic Filing and Payment System (eFPS); and (2) Electronic BIR Forms Systems (eBIRForms).

When it comes to increasing the value of your business, the old adage rings true: It’s about the journey rather than the destination. Increasing value is an ongoing process—a process that involves the regular assessment of your business’s strengths and weaknesses. The process should ideally lead you to opportunities that allow you to build upon the former, while remedying—or eliminating—the latter. Because you never know when the need for financing—or the decision to sell—may present itself, you should always be searching for new ways to increase your company’s value. While there are obviously external factors that can play a role in how much your business is worth, there are also many things you can control. These may include:

MOST of us are being kept busy by two things—the First Quarter operations report and the tax filing deadline on April 15. And this being the Philippines, we’ll also be engrossed watching and listening to the candidates campaigning for their respective positions. Thus, it is understandable that only a few have given attention to the additional information being required of individual taxpayers for their Income Tax Return for calendar year 2015.