Rappler's latest stories on DOF
Lawmakers ask DOF, BIR: Don’t be ‘heartless,' extend tax filing deadline
'Hindi kami nanghihingi ng pera. Magbabayad kami ng buwis. Pero huwag mo naman sabihin sa amin na magbayad kami 2 araw matapos ang quarantine na in-impose niyo,' says Congressman Joey Salceda

'A real patriot': Colleagues, friends honor ex-DOF chief Ernest Leung
'Tough as nails, straight as an arrow, and a real patriot. One of a kind,' says former interior secretary Rafael Alunan III of former finance secretary Ernest Leung

Sandiganbayan convicts 3 ex-DOF officials over tax credit fraud
Former DOF officials Uldarico Andutan Jr, Raul de Vera, and Rosanna Diala are sentenced to 6 years in jail over the 'fraudulent approval' of a P6-million tax credit certificate for Jam Transit

TUCP fears job losses under Citira bill
The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines urges government agencies to put in place a 'genuine transition program' for displaced workers before Citira's implementation – not after

Ex-DOF officials face up to 70 years in jail over tax credit fraud
The Sandiganbayan finds former Department of Finance officials guilty of graft for issuing fraudulent tax credit certificates in 1997 and 1998

Philippines to meet budget deficit target in 2018, says DOF
The Bureau of the Treasury says the year-to-date fiscal gap stands at P438.1 billion of the P523.6-billion target cap

DOF runs after officials in P11-billion tax credit scam
Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III forms a high-level task force to recover the P11 billion worth of undue tax credits

Duterte names Isko Moreno as DSWD undersecretary
(UPDATED) President Rodrigo Duterte also appoints Tony Lambino as assistant secretary of the Department of Finance

Agriculture department asks P123.7-billion budget for 2019
The proposed amount is more than twice the average allocation, and could be the agency's largest budget if approved

Gov't to lease retail, dining spaces at Metro Manila Subway stations
Philippine Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III says the revenues would help pay off Japan's loan for the construction of the subway

PH, Japan sign P51-B loan deal for phase 1 of Metro Manila Subway
Under Phase 1, 30 kilometers of underground railway with 14 stations will be built from Mindanao Avenue to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport

Infra projects to help PH achieve 7% growth in 2018 – DOF
During the country’s annual briefing with the Asian Development Bank, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III says, 'Mindanao today is at the front and center of the Build, Build, Build infrastructure program'

PH economic managers hail ranking by U.S. firm, vow more reforms
'Our efforts to create a more business- and investor-friendly environment are gaining traction,' says Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia, after an American firm ranked the Philippines as the best country to invest in

DOF expects February inflation to exceed projections
The Department of Finance attributes this to the higher prices of sin products such as cigarettes and alcoholic beverages

Inflation seen to continue hitting poor Filipinos hard
Dennis Mapa, dean of the UP Diliman School of Statistics, also says the P200 monthly subsidy for poor Filipino households is not enough to offset the impact of the tax reform law

Philippines, Japan sign P4-billion loan deal for Bulacan road
The loan will go towards expanding the Plaridel Bypass Road from two lanes to a 4-lane carriageway national road

Philippines' hosting of ADB meeting 'more frugal' in 2018 than in 2012
The Philippine government earmarks less than P90 million for the hosting of the Asian Development Bank annual meeting in 2018, lower than the P200 million it spent in 2012

Tax collected from Mighty up by P4 billion monthly since JTI takeover
Excise tax payments on Mighty brands surge by 262% to P20.22 billion from September to December 2017, compared to the same period in 2016, when Mighty was still controlled by its previous owners

#AskTheTaxWhiz: Beauty comes with a price, plus tax
The Philippine Tax Whiz answers questions on the new excise tax on cosmetic surgery

DOF bolsters new tax academy with scholarships
The scholarships are for employees – to train the next generation of public finance managers – while the DOF supports a JICA program open to those in the private sector

#AskTheTaxWhiz: Top 10 questions about the tax reform law
The Philippine Tax Whiz explains what the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) law is all about

Poor families to get P200 tax reform subsidy starting January
A total of 10 million families would benefit from the Unconditional Cash Transfer (UCT) scheme, says the Department of Social Welfare and Development

[OPINION] Without enough transfers, tax reform law will hurt the poor
'All in all, the first package of TRAIN was an opportunity to correct many problems that have long ailed our tax system. While a step in the right direction, many of TRAIN’s well-meaning provisions got watered down by politicians.'

EXPLAINER: How the tax reform law affects Filipino consumers
Payroll managers start adjusting their systems to reflect the new withholding tax rates. Supermarkets, oil retailers, convenience stores, and even sidewalk vendors begin updating their price lists.

DOF unit proposes 1,400% increase in casino entrance fee
The National Tax Research Center says this increase would discourage low-income earners from gambling and would also lead to higher revenue collection for infrastructure projects

New tax rates don't apply to old petroleum stocks, DOE warns
New excise tax rates on petroleum products are levied upon importation, not at the point of sale to the consumers

Duterte vetoes parts of tax reform law
The vetoes will help the first package of tax reforms expected to reach the target P90 billion in revenue in 2018, according to the Department of Finance

[OPINION] TRAIN at a crossroads on a coal tax
Our electricity bills would likely increase not because of a coal tax but because coal will become more expensive in the years to come relative to renewable energy

#AskTheTaxWhiz: Will small businesses benefit from TRAIN?
The Philippine Tax Whiz proposes a flat tax rate based on gross for small businesses

Justice remains elusive a year after Makati BIR director's death
The son of Jonas Dela Peña Amora says they do not consider the arrest of the alleged gunman as an attainment of justice

#AskTheTaxWhiz: Will employees benefit from TRAIN?
The Philippine Tax Whiz proposes a salary tax exclusive to employees

PH, Bank of China seal deal for $200-M 'Panda bond' offering
The Philippine government will be the issuer while the Bank of China will be the lead underwriter in a 1.2 billion RMB offering aimed at Chinese investors

Dominguez, Jack Ma to meet in China for PH e-commerce dev't
The Department of Finance is looking into building a logistics backbone for MSMEs and popularizing China's 3-1-0 online loan initiative in the Philippines

Pernia wants changes in Senate version of tax reform bill
There could be fewer infrastructure projects if the Senate version will be adopted, says Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia

Senate OKs bill requiring economic managers to report to Congress
The bill will mandate the Department of Finance, National Economic and Development Authority, the Department of Budget and Management, and the Central Bank to report biannually to Congress on fiscal and monetary policies

DOF installing new cybersecurity system
The Department of Finance is cooperating with the Department of Information and Communications Technology on the system which it expects to be fully operational by 2021

ADB offers Philippines $3.8B in loans for infra, social projects
Nearly half of the total will help fund infrastructure projects from 2018 to 2020 says the Department of Finance

Duterte gov't eyes taxes on coal
As senators express concern about effects of higher fuel prices on basic commodities they ask the Department of Finance: Why not prioritize taxes on coal the dirtiest fuel instead of petroleum products?

Businessmen's wishlist: 3rd telco player, C6 road, end Marawi crisis
Several business leaders and the country s economic managers gather to discuss 10 issues they want to prioritize for 2017 and 2018

Higher auto taxes, poor mass transport a 'lose-lose situation' for the public
Minahalan mo sasakyan di inayos mass transit kawawa dito commuters natin says Senator Sherwin Gatchalian

DOF to probe shabu shipment from China
Asked if Customs Commissioner Nicanor Faeldon is off the hook Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III says no presidential appointee is safe from getting sacked

Duterte now 'open to amendments' on tax reform bill – senators
The President accepted that the Senate will retain flexibility insofar as finally deciding the amounts of taxes Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon says after legislators 3 hour meeting with the Chief Executive

Philippine Tax Academy set to open in 2018
The curriculum will include technical aspects of tax collection administration and compliance

Mighty Corp offers to settle BIR tax cases for P25 billion
The embattled tobacco firm offers to pay the government P25 billion to cover tax deficiencies with the funds to come from the planned sale of its assets to JTI

DOF chief says tax reform law must generate at least P130B revenue
A tax reform law diluted such that it will generate less than P130 billion is not acceptable for one of Duterte s economic managers

Without efficient public transport, higher auto taxes 'unfair'
It s not going to be fair to the commuting public that we don t have that efficient transport system and yet we are shelling out big amounts in order to buy private vehicles says the Automobile Association of the Philippines

Resorts World gunman attended hearing for P6M forfeiture case before attack
Carlos offers to pay government P1 2 million instead of P6 4 million but Ombudsman prosecutors reject this as his forfeiture case continues
Resorts World gunman, school opening, Putin | Midday wRap
Watch the midday newscast with Zak Yuson

Duterte admin's tax reform package a 'big mistake' – labor coalition
ALU TUCP says the tax reform package just passed by the House is not uplifting because those who are already poor workers would become even poorer

Duterte certifies tax reform bill as urgent
The House of Representatives could approve the bill on both 2nd and 3rd readings this week

