TMAP: BIR "TAX Tanong" Video Shoot with DepCom for Legal Group Marissa Cabreros
March 7, 2018

On March 7, TMAP was invited by the BIR to act as host of their pilot episode on their tax campaign and information dissemination program entitled “TAX TANONG”. The format of the show is to answer and elaborate on the questions posed by people on the streets who are affected by the TRAIN Law. The issue discussed in that episode  was the taxation of salaried employees and MWE under the TRAIN Law.  With me in the pilot episode was Dep Com for Legal, Atty. Marissa Cabreros. The talk show will be initially aired in Youtube and at the BIR  taxpayer’s lounge.
TMAP: ACPAPP General Membership Meeting
March 6, 2018

TMAP Pres. Atty. Gallardo was invited on March 6 by the Association of Certified Public Accountants in Public Practice (ACPAPP) as their guest speaker at their first General Membership Meeting to talk on the topic: “TRAIN LAW: What’s next?”. Basically, Atty. Gallardo discussed the next or immediate  legislative tax measures to be undertaken: first, the amnesty bill shall complement and supplement  Package 1 or TRAIN Bill; and, an introduction on what to expect on Package 2 of the Comprehensive Tax Reform Program of the government, which is the lowering of the corporate income tax and the rationalization and modernization of fiscal incentives.
TMAP: EU-Phil Business Network Advocacy Forum on Tax Reform
February 27, 2018

On February 27, TMAP Pres. Atty. Gallardo was invited by EU-Philippines Business Network as one of their panelist in the forum entitled Euro-PH Advocacy Forum on the Comprehensive Tax Reform Program to discuss TMAP's insights on CTRP Package 2 and its general implication to the EU-Philippine business community and to potential foreign investors. Atty. Gallardo was joined by the two ladies from the Board of Investments and from one of the Investment Promotions Agencies.
TMAP: General Membership Meeting (GMM) and Tax Seminar
February 22, 2018

Together with FG & Co.'s Managing Partner Ms. Fernando, Atty. Gallardo attended TMAP's GMM for the month of February. They had Ms. Cory Quirino, a TV personality and wellness guru and advocate, as their guest speaker. She talked about the wellness of mind and body and stress management, which are essential in maintaining our well being specially in times like the forthcoming hectic tax filing season. 

Last Feb 22, TMAP had their first Tax Seminar on TRAIN Law. The guest lecturer and speaker was the newly appointed DepCom for the Legal Group Marissa Cabreros. The seminar was very much well attended and it was one of the 4 TRAIN seminars which the Deputy Commissioner managed to honor as she could not accept anymore lecture commitments after being appointed as the DepCom for the Legal Group.
TMAP: "Kapihan" Briefing on CTRP Package 2 by USec Karl Chua and DepCom Marissa Cabreros
February 21, 2018

TMAP held its first “Kapihan“ session this year which covered the briefing conducted by the DOF on Package 2 of the CTRP of the government,  with USEC Karl Chua and the newly appointed BIR Dep. Commissioner, Marissa Cabreros in attendance. The briefing was very engaging and insightful as helpful inputs were provided by the attendees.

In summary, Package 2 will cover the following: (1) lowering of the corporate income tax rate; (2) reforming the corporate income tax system; and (3) broadening the tax base by modernizing investment tax incentives to ensure fairness, plug tax leakages and improve competitiveness in the ASEAN region.
TMAP: Senate Hearing on Amnesty Bill & Technical Working Group Meeting on Amnesty Bill
February 12 & 19, 2018

TMAP was invited in the hearings of the House and Senate and  the Technical working group meeting at the senate to work on the refinements of the bill. The House and the Senate started the public hearings and deliberations on the passing of the amnesty bill to supplement the TRAIN Law. Basically, the amnesty will cover three areas – a general tax amnesty, estate tax amnesty and tax delinquencies and pending tax cases amnesty.  

​TMAP is advocating for a separate amnesty structure for each of the areas covered by the amnesty, simplification of the procedures and requirements, automatic certification of the valid availment of the amnesty upon filing and payment of the amnesty or a deemed valid availment if not acted upon by the BIR after the period of evaluation has elapsed, among others,  so that the amnesty measures will be more attractive to taxpayers.
TMAP: BIR National Tax Campaign Kick Off 2018
February 9, 2018

Together with TMAP's past president and now our Ex-officio member of the Board, Atty. Malou Lim, TMAP Pres. Atty. Gallardo and FG & Co.'s Managing Partner Ms. Fernando attended the BIR National Tax Campaign kick off at the PICC on February 9. There is a welcome change in the strategy of the BIR this year, where they adopted the theme: Salamat sa'yo! They are thanking the paying taxpayers, other stakeholders and the BIR employees and staff for a successful 2017,  collecting 98% percent of their collection goal of 1.8 trillion pesos. However, they are projecting again a more robust 2018 with a collection target of almost 2.1 trillion pesos. They are banking on  increasing their tax collection effort and efficiency ratio to more than 11 or 12 % which will be among the highest in the region plus additional collection from the implementation of the TRAIN Law and other measures such as the amnesty law. 
TMAP: Induction and General Membership Meeting with CIR Caesar Dulay as Inducting Officer
January 25, 2018

RSG Law Office's Partner Atty. Conde, FG & Co.'s Managing Partner Ms. Fernando, and selected RSG Law staff joined Atty. Gallardo in TMAP's first General Membership Meeting (GMM) for the year and the induction of the new set of officers with the Commissioner of Internal Revenue Hon.  Caesar Dulay as their guest of honor and inducting officer. Of the 16 members of the board, there is one new member of the board and a returning member of the board.
TMAP: TV and Radio Appearance on Serbisyong Kasambahay at UNTV on the Salient Features of TRAIN Law
January 17, 2018

In the late afternoon of January 17 and together with TMAP's Internal VP Atty. Lea Roque, TMAP Pres. Atty. Gallardo joined Ms. Jacqui Aquino in her radio and TV program Serbisyong Kasangbahay to share with her listeners and viewers the salient features of the TRAIN LAW and TMAP's views on whether or not the TRAIN Law is anti-poor and on the growing anecdotal experiences of most of our consuming public, that is, prices of consumer commodities have gone up because of the TRAIN LAW. To hear more of their answers, please click the following link: https://goo.gl/pohzW1.
TMAP: Meeting with Atty. Mape Cantilep on the IRR on Income
January 17, 2018

TMAP Pres. Atty. Gallardo joined BIR Depcom for the Legal Group Atty. Mape Cantilep, who is also the head writer for the IRR on CAT, to discuss with her some of their inputs on the Draft IRR. Atty. Gallardo's group emphasized the need for the IRR to at least provide more explanation on the amendments and more examples to illustrate different scenarios for the IRR to be  clearer. They noticed that the draft IRR was just mirroring the provisions of the law, which is possibly the reason why the IRR has not yet  been finalized or approved by the DOF.