Yellow Pad By Madeiline Joy Aloria The recently passed Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) law raised excise taxes imposed on products such as sugar-sweetened beverages, cigarettes, and coal. These products are deemed to have harmful effects on health and/or the environment. This objective of taxation — influencing behavior for the better — has […]
Yellow Pad By Arjay Mercado One unexpected development in the passage of Republic Act (RA) 10963 or the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) law was the last-minute addition of a tobacco excise tax increase. Health advocates were surprised by this sudden inclusion because neither the House version nor the Senate version of the […]
Yellow Pad By Filomeno S. Sta. Ana III The recent news that the inflation rate increased from 2.7% in January 2017 to 3.95% in January 2018 (year over year or YOY) raised alarm bells. About a year ago, I wrote a similar column on inflation titled “Is current inflation worrisome?” (13 February 2017, BusinessWorld). My answer […]
Yellow Pad By Joshua Uyheng We are currently living amidst the implementation of RA 10963, also known as Package One of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN). Among the TRAIN’s host of new and reformed taxes, of special note are the new excise taxes on sweetened beverages (SBs). Section 29 of RA 10963 […]
Yellow Pad By Karla Michelle Yu In the weeks that followed the passage of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN), some critics, well meaning or otherwise, have lambasted it for the wrong reasons. Some of the criticisms are unfounded, misinformed, oversimplified, or exaggerated. A number of these objections are opinionated but not backed […]
Yellow Pad By May-i Fabros Social media have been chirping on the railroading of TRAIN, examples are the tweets of Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR) and investigative journalist, Ms. Raissa Robles. CMFR tweeted, “Without a quorum: TRAIN railroaded into Law,” while Ms. Robles said: “Govt is doing public consultations AFTER, not BEFORE, new […]