DOF denies VAT increase proposal

While the Department of Finance (DOF) is pushing for the swift enactment of its priority tax measures in the 20th Congress, raising the already eyesore 12-percent value-added tax (VAT) by three percentage points (ppt) next year is off the table.

- By DERCO ROSAL

In a Facebook post, the DOF called out Cavite 4th District Representative Francisco “Kiko” Barzaga for posting on his Facebook page a claim that Finance Secretary Ralph G. Recto plans to increase the 12-percent VAT to 15 percent by the first quarter of 2026.

According to the DOF, the news about the VAT hike is “not true” and that “there are no new or additional taxes that will be imposed on the public.”

“A call to all elected officials: be responsible and do not become purveyors of fake news,” the DOF further said.