university of the Philippines Manila position statement on proposed house Bill no. 292, “An act imposing excise tax on sugar-sweetened beverages by inserting a new section 150-A in the national internal revenue Code of 1997, as amended”

ABSTRACT

@#<p style="text-align justify;">The Philippines, with a maximum personal income tax rate at 32%1 and a corporate income tax of 35%,1 has one of the highest income tax rates among the Association of South East Asian(ASEAN) member states.2 The new administration is now campaigning to lower the ceilings on capital and personal income tax, through a proposal originally passed in September 2016, and amended in January 2017, following public and private sector opposition for its immediate imposition.3 In its Explanatory Note, House Bill No. 292, "An Act Imposing Excise Tax on Sugar-Sweetened Beverages by Inserting a New Section 150-A in the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997, as Amended," cites this as the reason for imposing an, "excise tax of ten pesos (Php 10.00) on sugar-sweetened beverages, the rate of which shall be increased by four percent (4%) every year thereafter effective on January 1, 2017."4 According to the proposed bill, "this measure is proposed to provide additional revenue collections for our country," further claiming that, "this house bill is timely in its submission as one of the new administration's policies to pursue reforms in income tax rates.</p>