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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.

A few weeks ago, I attended the first anniversary celebration of the Ease of Doing Business Law (Republic Act No. 11032) at the Philippine International Convention Center. RA No. 11032 was signed on May 28, 2018 and became effective on June 17, 2018. Many stakeholders and government officials were present to witness this milestone, all curious how the law has improved government services since its effectivity. Anniversaries are always nostalgic, as they force us to look back and see what has been accomplished in the past year.

When you stroll around your neighborhood, chances are you will bump into a foreigner. They are present everywhere: in parks, malls, restaurants, and public transportation. You also encounter them in economic zones in Laguna, Cavite, Cebu, and Batangas and even in the central business districts of Makati, Oritigas, Bonifacio Global City, and Cebu. A significant number of these foreigners are here not for vacation, but as expatriate employees. There are also reports that foreigners are now employed not as executives, but as rank and file.

Our hoped-for radical changes in the processing of claims for value-added tax (VAT) refund filed with the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) have seen the light of the day. Gone are the days when taxpayers would wait in vain for the acceptance or denial of their VAT refund application. Looking back, many have seen this as just a prerequisite to the true refund battle in the Court of Tax Appeals.