By Alec Go
Department of Finance (DOF) Secretary Benjamin Diokno said imposing taxes on digital services and transactions would only be fair.
This was his response when asked if the Marcos administration would push for the completion of the Comprehensive Tax Reform Program, including the “taxation of profitable digital transactions outside the tax net.”
“‘Yung tax on digital services, I think it’s only fair na dapat ita-tax natin ‘yun, hindi ba? Kasi kung — if you are going to buy it from the regular stores nagta-tax ka, eh bakit naman pagka digital hindi ka magta-tax, ‘di ba?” he said in the Palace briefing on Wednesday, July 6.
“I think in the sense of fairness dapat pareho. Dapat magkaroon ng tax, especially medyo — if you really think about it ‘yung mga nakakaangat ang siyang nakakakuha ng mga ganyan, digital payment. So on the basis of fairness, I think they should be taxed,” he added.
Meanwhile, the DOF chief said the tax reform program pushed by the Duterte administration has two remaining packages.
“I think ang estimate noon is that it’s supposed to be revenue neutral, walang additional revenues na makukuha doon,” he said.
“But it will simplify a lot the tax system. So we will push for that. And then we expect that to be approved before the end of the year. And it will be implemented next year,” he added.
Diokno shared in the same briefing the targets of the new administration’s medium-term fiscal framework, including poverty rate reduction to 9% by 2028, economic growth by 6.5% to 7.5% this year, and meeting a middle-income status by 2028 with a $4,046 dollar per capita income. — gb
