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More often than not, employees rely solely on their employers to handle matters involving their registration with government offices, such as the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR). Unfortunately, employees sometimes find themselves in a situation where they are made to deal with their registration updates on their own rather than their employers doing it for them. This is normally the case when an employee has recently changed employers. If you have not heard the latest updates from the BIR, you are probably bombarding that staff member from Human Resources (HR) now with questions about how you are supposed to update your BIR registration and why it is you, not them, who should handle the update. If your HR team is well versed in the new procedures, lucky you. But what if they are not? You might then have to resort to Googling, hoping to come across a checklist or set of guidelines to refer to. Look no further, because you have just clicked on the right link with the answer to your problem.

“Options! Options! Options!” – This was one of the lines I would always remember in the movie Four Sisters and a Wedding. The movie revolves around the abrupt decision of CJ, the youngest in the family, to get married to his fiancée, Princess. His four sisters, Teddie, Bobbie, Alex and Gabbie, connived to formulate a plan to stop the wedding from happening. One of which is to provide CJ with other options as the four sisters believed that CJ is only marrying Princess as she was the “best candidate in a diminishing pool of options.”

In less than two months, I will tie the knot with my girlfriend of eleven years. Looking back, I went through failure, heartache, and disappointment but, at the same time experienced milestones and achievements that made me who I am today. Being with someone I cherish made me a better version of myself. As American author Helen Keller put it, “the best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched — they must be felt with the heart.” It is better to have someone to rely on.

This year, Game of Thrones — one of my favorite television shows — finally ended. I remember watching it for the first time eight years ago, finding it boring, and attempting to finish watching the first episode thrice. Since then, I got hooked until the last episode was aired this summer. Just like with any popular movie or television series, there were mixed reactions among fans over how the show ended. Some fans were happy but, of course, Game of Thrones received its fair share of criticism. Most unsatisfied fans wanted a remake with an ending they prefer.

Having the opportunity to work and live in Manila has been a dream of many Filipinos. Many say there are better opportunities in the capital. For a probinsyana like me who has found luck in the urbane, the big city opened my eyes to different things, people, behaviors, experiences, and learnings. Working in Manila has its ups and downs and its ins and outs. In the past 15 years of living in the capital, I believe I have learned and gone through so much — and I think many can relate.

Can expatriate employees assigned to the Philippines qualify for personal income tax exemptions under tax treaties? This is a question often asked by foreign corporations sending employees to the Philippines for various purposes.

As we are celebrating Philippine Independence this month, I can recall several kinds of freedom. For Filipinos, June 12 is a commemoration of our freedom from being ruled by another nation. Another type of freedom is for young upon reaching the legal age, at which point they can make their own choices. Freedom can also be viewed in the context of moving on from a failed relationship. For the taxpayers’ perspective, freedom would mean liberation from tax burden; and it is fitting to mention that, early this year, a law was passed to set free the taxpayers from the past tax deficiencies.

“Rain, Rain, Go Away” is a nursery rhyme that children sing when they wish the rain to stop so they can go outside and play.