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Ronald Bernas

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Ronald Bernas is a partner in Quisumbing Torres’ Tax Practice Group. He has 21 years of experience advising clients on various tax issues, including general tax planning, tax controversies, tax litigation, and customs issues and procedures.

On 26 March 2021, the president signed into law Republic Act No. 11534 or the CREATE Act, which is the reconciled version of the Bicameral Conference Committee. It settled the disagreeing provisions of House Bill No. 4157 and Senate Bill No. 1357. The CREATE Act was previously known as the Corporate Income Tax and Incentives Reform Act (CITIRA) bill. The law will become effective on 11 April 2021.

After almost a decade of negotiations, the RCEP was finally signed on 15 November 2020 by 10 ASEAN countries, along with Australia, China, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea. India was originally party to the RCEP negotiations, but it left the deal in 2019 due to concerns over the protection…

After almost a decade of negotiations, the RCEP was finally signed on 15 November 2020 by 10 ASEAN countries, along with Australia, China, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea. India was originally party to the RCEP negotiations, but it left the deal in 2019 due to concerns over the protection of its national interests and local industries.

The RCEP is the largest regional free trade agreement (FTA) outside the WTO. Its member states account for approximately 30% of the world’s gross domestic product (USD 26.3 trillion) and 30% of the world’s population (2.3 billion). Key developments that are expected from the implementation of the RCEP include further liberalization of trade, removal of non-tariff trade barriers and increased trade facilitation, removal of barrier to services sectors, as well as overall enhanced business environment through regulations relating to intellectual property protection, government procurement practices, e-commerce and more.

The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) issued Revenue Regulations (RR) No. 20-2020 dated 3 August 2020, amending RR No. 06-2013 in relation to RR No. 06-2008, governing the imposition of tax on the sale, barter, exchange or other disposition of shares of stock not traded through the local stock exchange. 

In order to provide relief to taxpayers who will not be able to prepare, let alone file, various tax returns which are due this March 2020, the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) issued Revenue Memorandum Circular No. 29-2020 (RMC 29-2020) on 19 March 2020. Under RMC No. 29-2020, the deadline…