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School opening last week again highlighted the terrible traffic in Metro Manila, said to be among the worst in the world. It took me during the Wednesday rush hour, one hour and forty-five minutes for the three-kilometer distance to my business meeting. While I have emotionally accepted my fate of being stuck in Manila, let me share you some of my thoughts in a listicle, on how we can ease the traffic in our own little ways

When the new Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Commissioner, lawyer Cesar Dulay, formally assumed office on July 1, it appeared to many that he intended to make an impression. Wasting no time, the Commissioner took many by surprise with three new issuances.

At some point or other along the life cycle of your technology business, it is likely you will need access to additional capital to help realise your growth plans. This funding may be required for sales and marketing, developing your technology, growing your team or other strategic ambition.

I attended a seminar last week where one of the topics was about integrity. The speaker presented a slide showing a public survey that placed bankers among the bottom ranks in terms of perceived integrity, just above politicians and below lawyers. It is, indeed, a strange state of affairs when the people you trust with your money are perceived by many to be lacking in integrity. Perhaps, there is too much focus on profit and return-on-investment rather than on building trust.

With few days before BIR Commissioner Kim Henares steps down, one can expect the surge of last-minute revenue circulars, orders and issuances from the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR). Just recently, two revenue orders were issued laying down the guidelines and procedures in the conduct of investigation on the financial capacity of parties to acquire properties.

In September 2015, the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) issued a memorandum circular covering the Philippine Financial Reporting Framework for Cooperatives (Reporting Framework). This Reporting Framework, which will only be effective for financial statements ending on December 31, 2016, is based largely (except for certain accounting treatments incorporated or revised by CDA which it deemed distinct and unique for cooperatives) on the Philippine Financial Reporting Standards for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (PFRS for SMES).

Most, if not all, individuals and corporate entities alike, have had some experience buying, selling, exchanging, transferring, inheriting or donating real and/or personal property/ies. We are well aware that such transfers of properties are subject to applicable income/capital gains taxes (based either on the selling price or fair market value of the properties transferred or gain realized on the transfer) as well as documentary stamp tax (DST) in the case of transfers of real properties and shares of stock not traded in the stock exchange. In the case of transfers of real or personal properties that are held for sale or lease or are used in the business, the same are also subject to value-added tax (VAT). In addition to these national taxes, the sale or exchange of real properties is subject to applicable transfer taxes payable to the concerned local government unit.

So we are all familiar with digital? It is part of everyday life, from Facebook to phone-based payment services to a-million-and-one apps. How does a business reach out to its customer base, encourage them to maintain that brand loyalty and make money from just being ‘liked’?