Time to enact broader Estate Tax Amnesty

The proposal of Senator Panfilo Lacson to enact a broader Estate Tax Amnesty deserves urgent and thoughtful support.

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A perusal of this measure shows that it is not about absolving wrongdoing or rewarding those who deliberately evade taxes. It is about confronting a long-festering structural problem with pragmatism, compassion, and fiscal intelligence.

For decades, thousands of Filipino families have been trapped in a rather cruel bind. A loved one dies, leaving behind property—often modest homes or small parcels of land—but the estate tax remains unpaid owing to financial difficulties. Thus, penalties accumulate. Interest compounds. What may have begun as a manageable obligation becomes an insurmountable burden. Titles cannot be transferred. Assets remain frozen. Land lies idle. Families are left in legal limbo, unable to sell, develop, or even fully claim what is rightfully theirs.