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Every year, Lent — which begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Black Saturday — is observed by Christians all over the country. For many devout Christians, the season of Lent is a time for repentance, prayer, and self-reflection to strengthen one’s relationship with God.

One spring afternoon nearly 2,000 years ago, a Roman centurion watched three men die slow, agonizing deaths. That soldier especially noted one of them — Jesus Christ. Jesus had been nailed to a wooden stake. The midday sky blackened as the moment of his death approached. When Jesus died, the earth shook violently, and the soldier exclaimed, “Certainly, this man was God’s Son.”

Summer is here! As the school break starts, everyone is excited to plan where to spend their holidays. But before gearing up for the vacation, corporate taxpayers adopting calendar taxable year and individual taxpayers can’t think of enjoying summer yet until the April 15 annual income tax return (ITR) deadline passes.

It is not every day that delinquents are given the chance to avail of tax amnesty. A review of our past tax amnesties, both legislated and administrative, show that delinquents are very seldom given breaks. Of the 10 tax amnesties passed during the Marcos administration, only one covered delinquents (i.e., Presidential Decree No. 68, issued in 1972). Of the three tax amnesties passed during the Corazon Aquino administration, none covered delinquents. However, there was Executive Order No. 44, which authorized the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to accept compromise payments on delinquent accounts.

Hope for the best, prepare for the worst. Preparing for an upcoming customs audit is one way to minimize, if not to avoid, the risk of having deficiency assessments. The recent issuance of the Customs Administrative Order (CAO) No. 1-2019 marks the beginning of the audit season for importers.

With the advent of Republic Act (RA) No. 10963, or the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law, taxpayers and tax practitioners have lauded the amendment made under Section 100 of the National Internal Revenue Code (NIRC). Section 100 imposes donor’s tax on the transfer of property for less than adequate or full consideration in money or money’s worth. The amendment provides an exception to the general rule. In this case, a transaction that is bona fide, at arm’s length, and free from any donative intent will be considered made for an adequate and full consideration, even if the selling price is lower than the established fair market value (FMV).

A month after President Duterte line-vetoed the general tax amnesty provision of the Tax Amnesty Act of 2019, taxpayers who have long anticipated a clean slate with the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) are once again confronted with the question of whether to expect rigorous tax audits by the BIR.

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